By Your Side
by foxohki
Summary: Four years after the Meteor incident, Yuffie finds herself rescued by an old friend they all thought was insane. But is he really insane, or will Yuffie find there's more to him than meets the eye? A Cid/Yuffie story. Rated M for violence/swearing/content
1. A Chance Encounter

Disclaimer: All elements of Final Fantasy VII are copyright 1997 Square Co., Ltd. Anything else recognizable is likewise not owned by the author and/or is completely coincidental. No money is being made from this story.

Rated M for mild content, violence and language (mostly Cid's).

Author's Note: This is NOT, repeat NOT a Vincent/Yuffie fic. This fic is all about the awesomeness that is Cid Highwind… and Yuffie. If you don't like that, you can go read a different story. I wrote this because I was tired of reading Cid/Yuffie fics that I didn't like, and wanted something that finally portrayed him in my vision. So, read, enjoy, and if you don't like it, don't read it. Constructive criticism is welcome, as are rave reviews! Flames will be used to help make s'mores.

4/17/2009 -- resubmitted to edit a few mistakes.

**Chapter 1**

**A Chance Encounter**

A low rumble echoed across the night sky, giving early warning to the approaching weather. The dark clouds overhead had long blocked out the sunlight from above, casting the day into a very early dusk. The air carried the musty scent of the ocean as winds began to pick up, grabbing loose and discarded trash from the streets and flinging it violently against the concrete walls of the city. Predictions were that this would be one of the most turbulent nights in years, almost dangerous levels of wind and chilling rain would befall the city of Midgar. Citizens were told to remain indoors or travel at their own risks as the meager law enforcement would be unable to provide assistance.

It was the greatest sign of nature the world had shown in years and it answered the prayers of the devout and non-religious alike.

It had been nearly four years since the defeat of Sephiroth, a time that the world was thought to be doomed. The silver-haired demon had caused so much devastation to the planet that all was feared lost, even with the arrival of the Life Stream's forgiveness.

For years oceans were unnaturally calm, the wind was unquestionably absent, and the skies were eerily calm. Crops withered and died. Herds of animals became lost. Nature all but seemed to give up on itself. Many people blamed Shinra; others even blamed the rebel Kadaj and his kin, marking it as his one last curse on Gaia. It seemed for awhile that the destruction of the people was all but inevitable, Sephiroth and Jenova's final parting gift.

And then the rain came. It began nearly four months before, at a time when the populous had resolved itself to the fate of the Ancients as well. It was slow at first, a few scattered showers, mostly near the coast. But then heavier and heavier storms began to form. It seemed as if the planet were finally regaining its senses, reminding itself that it had to support a collective of living creatures. And with the rain came wind.

Long had the people forsaken Mako Reactors as their power supply. They had learned that to tempt Gaia's wrath would be to suffer her punishment. And now with the return of the wind they looked to alternative means of power. Wind collecting generators were built, followed soon after by Solar Absorption Batteries, and then the electricity producing dam projects began. But the planet would constantly remind its denizens that it was still in control. On a rare occasion Gaia would exert her power and give the people a show of tremendous force.

This night was such an occasion.

A deep roar filled the streets as the rush of air swept through the concrete man-made jungle. Lamp posts rattled and waved in the tremendous breeze, almost threatening to buckle against the natural might. Then the stinging daggers of the cold rain began. It was always a sudden downpour. It never began slowly.

Few people remained outside long enough to hear the wind rush by, and even fewer still stayed long after to feel the cold rain.

Yet a lone figure was there.

A long brown cloak hung loosely around the figure as she ran through the streets, a futile effort to keep the delicate body underneath dry in this raging shower of freezing cold rain and wind. A heavy pant escaped her lips as the young woman splashed through the forming puddles on the streets, each step causing her body to again tremble in the cold as the water danced up to meet her.

Her shoulder length black hair wisped back and forth across her face as she spun her head from side to side; stealing a glance down every alley way and side street she passed. Each path offered the same futile escape route as the last, unable to lead her way to freedom. Beneath her cloak she cradled a small bag in her arms. She hugged it tight against her freezing frame, almost as if to beg the bag itself to save her.

And she could hear them following her.

From the loud splashing it sounded like three, maybe four, men were pursuing her. She could hear them yelling to her, but their words were carried away by the wind. Maybe for the best, given her current position she had doubts anything they said would be nice or even proper. And all because she had just swiped a bag of precious Materia.

Her name was Yuffie Kisaragi; she was a ninja by trade and thief by hobby. Anytime the prospect of wrapping her fingers around an orb of materia arose, she was the first to pounce on it. It had earned her a bad reputation in the past. Mistrusted by her friends and despised by the rest of the world, she relished the idea of being thought of as the greatest thief/ninja of all times. Yuffie found it hard to believe anyone could be so attached to the small crystal balls, no bigger than a tennis ball, that they'd kill over it.

But she was sure that's what these men intended.

She knew swiping the materia would land her into a heap of trouble. But she also counted on being far out of town before the mob-boss came home to find his house ransacked. How was she to know he'd call his vacation off early from Costa del Sol on account of wanting to beat the rain home?

Caught in mid-act, she had no choice but to turn tail and run with only half of her intended goal. And from the looks of it, it was yellow and purple materia to boot. Her tiny nose wrinkled a bit at the thought, knowing she'd be lucky to get bottom gil prices for this batch.

A big meaty hand grabbed for her from behind, snapping the peppy ninja from her daydreams of counting gil. She could sense more than see the hand approaching, finally her ninja training able to pay off. She slid to a quick stop in the middle of the street, her feet finding very little traction in the freezing cold pools of rain. But it was enough to catch her pursuer off guard allowing her to deliver a quick spin kick into his abdomen. A loud grunt escaped his pale lips, filling Yuffie's nostrils with the smell of booze and cigarette smoke.

Finding his accomplices quickly gaining she spun around and again resumed her escape down the dark streets. Many of the street lamps grew inoperable during storms. The primitive wiring available offered very little resistance to shorting out or snapping in heavy gusts such as this.

For a moment the young ninja thought she heard one of men shouting over the roar of wind, but quickly dispatched the idea as the words she 'heard' hardly seemed appropriate for a lady's delicate ears.

Finally confident of her location, she turned her flight down one of the darkened alley ways. She had set up several escape routes before hand, just in case of emergency. And four angry men chasing her in the middle of a rain storm surely counted as one. Suddenly her forward moment was halted as she ran face first into a solid brick wall.

She had turned down the wrong street.

Quickly recalling the blueprint of the city in her mind, her cheeks grew pale. Her little maneuver earlier had caused her to count one too few streets. This alley ended in a dead end with tall buildings on both sides and a third making this choice a lost cause.

_No matter_, she thought, _I'll just hurry back before they catch up and make it out the next one_. Spinning quickly she froze before taking another step out. Four dark silhouettes blocked the entrance of the alley.

A flickering street light across the road gave her the briefest of glance at each one wearing a very angry, determined glare before the light itself hissed and popped out of existence.

She found herself suddenly terrified in the darkness. "Now, now, boys," she forced out, steeling herself to be strong, "I know what I did mighta seemed like a bad idea. But hear me out. I've got a starving grandma and if she doesn't get some gil soon, she'll die!" Her voice echoed against the solid walls. Walls that blocked the roar of the wind and would also block her cries for help stood tall on each side of her. Even on her best day she could never climb them fast enough, not carrying her precious sack of materia.

The tallest of the four men, nursing a bruised stomach, spoke up. "Hear that, boys? Not only is our little bitch here a thief, but a good Samaritan as well." This raised a deep chuckle from each of the men. "Now, what do we do to good little ninja **girls **that cross the boss? Hm? Brucey?" The word 'girl' forced a terrified shiver down the Wutai-native's spine. She was going on her 20th winter this year, and as adorable as she found herself, she doubted these men were here to praise and compliment her stunning good looks.

Another of the men snickered in the darkness and Yuffie could swear she heard the man lick his lips. "We teaches them a lesson? Yeah, that's what we do. Teach it to 'em good and hard too!" This brought all four men to a deep laugh. A laugh, the little thief noted, was getting closer and closer in the alley.

With a sigh of resolve, the dark-haired thief reached over her shoulder. A soft snap rang through the alley as she unhooked her large shuriken from her back. "Alright boys, final warning; stand down now or it's gonna get messy!" Her eyes had trouble adjusting to the darkness of the confined space, but she knew the men had an equal handicap.

"Looky here, boys, the little minx has a pig sticker, neh? I wonder what she plans to do with that." It was a third voice, much higher than the other two. Yuffie thought the voice reminded her strangely of a rodent. And the accompanying high-pitched tittering laugh from the man didn't help the illusion.

The one she had kicked earlier, the larger of the men stepped forward. She could almost feel his hot, stank breath against her cheek. "Why, I wager she has no idea what she's gotten into. In fact," the voice grew close, less than several feet from her face, "I'll bet she thinks we're as blind as she is."

With that her eyes grew wide, causing the quartet of men to burst into laughter. It was true that the only thing she could see was her own hand gripping her shuriken in front of her face, but how could they see that?

She barely had time to ponder the fact as a sudden large fist came crashing into her stomach. It was all Yuffie could do to keep from losing her breakfast, never mind the wind that was forced from her lungs. The bag of materia clanged to the ground and she almost lost the grip on her weapon. Her now free arm wrapped across her stomach as she forced every ounce of her being not to black out.

The voice, now mere inches from her ear, growled at her. "You stupid slut! We're mutates. Our DNA's been spliced with animals BRED to stalk in the night. Our boss is always prepared, and on nights when visibility is low, he keeps us on guard."

Her blood ran cold as again four distinct laughs filled the alley. Gritting her teeth in rage, the ninja forced all of her might into her movements. Quickly she bent her body backwards, drawing her legs up a sharp one-two kick against the man's jaw and flipping backwards, doing a brief handstand before continuing with her momentum and completing the motion. Her ankles throbbed. It had felt like kicking the brick wall she had been forced to run into earlier.

The man simply laughed. "Better do more than that, little lady. That's barely a love tap from some of the brothels I frequent. Surely the kick earlier surprised me, but now I'm ready for ya and your little acrobatics just aren't gonna cut it."

The cornered girl took another step back, knocking into some discarded cans and bottles. "S-So, "she tried to hide the fear in her voice, "I don't suppose you'd just let me off with a simple warning if I gave the materia back, eh?"

For a moment the four men were silent, before the large man nearest her roared in laughter. Yuffie suddenly felt like a cornered mouse being stalked by wild animals. "Now see here, you pretty little thing. We gots strict orders from the big man. Anyone who crosses him dies, ya follow me? And frankly, me boys 'n' me got this problem, see?"

"Yeah, yeah problem!" the high-pitched man spoke up.

The large man reached a hand up cupping his big meaty fingers against the young ninja's shivering cheek. The rain and fear had finally taken its toll on her body.

"Ya see," for a moment, his voice softened to the point of forcing the ninja to drop her guard, "when we have our way with women, we gotsa be extra careful not to kill 'em. If we do, the boss doesn't let us play with 'em for awhile." The three approaching men all chuckled. "But you, you precious little flower", his fingers suddenly snatched back, grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking her head back hard. "You're not one of the boss' ladies. We can do whatever we want and he won't get mad, ya feel me?"

"If she doesn't now, she will soon!" Added one of the other men. The pounding in her ear wouldn't allow Yuffie to distinguish which one.

Her rage exploded at his touch. Her weapon quickly came up, sharp points of her shuriken finding purchase in flesh as she raked upwards. His fingers let go of her hair as he roared in pain, taking a large step away from his prey. The hot splash of blood warmed her cheeks as she spun around, the weapon whistling loudly in the darkness.

She screamed with all of her anger as she let the weapon fly. _They're straight ahead of me,_ she thought, _if I can just make a small opening in their ranks I can run through! _

The large weapon hummed through the darkness, sounding as if a buzz saw were slicing through the very night itself. Yuffie strained her ears and listened. She was waiting for either the dull thud of contact or the screams of scatter. Either way she would make her way through the opening and escape into the streets again.

A glint in the night, nothing more than a brief spark, shone through the alley. She heard the weapon clatter harmlessly to the ground not but several feet before her. They were armed as well she quickly realized.

The remaining color fled from her cheeks as the rain poured down from the night sky. She was blind, unarmed, and helpless. She was vulnerable to their advances.

"Get her!" the men all cried in unison, forcing a small whimper to escape her throat. A bolt of lightning, the first all night, raced across the sky. It gave just enough light to show Yuffie the four of them advance on her, one crimson from her attack. And then her visibility was gone.

They were upon her almost instantly. She then knew they were closer to her than she initially thought. Her weapon never had a chance to give her freedom. She screamed and yelled as wet hands grabbed for her. She squirmed against their grips, the men easily overpowering her despite the slippery nature the rain gave her. She kicked and punched, her blows finding only glancing connection.

Her cloak was torn asunder and tossed aside. Her shivering body fought against her attackers, but the more she struggled the louder they laughed. Each time a hand found purchase on her, she lost an article of clothing. First her arm bracer, then her shin guards, followed quickly by her straps, and shreds of armor were discarded. Finally the men began to tear at her clothes. Screams and curses flew from her lips. Tears trailed down her cheeks.

And the blows rained down almost as fast as the water from the sky did. Every time the brave ninja raised her head it was met with a sharp punch, every time she twisted to kick she would instead receive one herself. Soon she found her body no longer responded to her wishes. She struggled on but now it was little more than twitching and whimpering.

"Alright boys, I think that's about enough. I like my meat tenderized, not dead." It was the large man speaking. Three sets of hands grasped her, holding her steady as she slumped down to her knees, finding herself in a pool of rain and her own blood.

She could feel his hot breath again brush against her ears, his voice like daggers against her mind. "Now we're going to have our fun with you, whether you like it or not. And when we're done, I promise we'll end it quickly." The last word raised a protest from one of the other men holding Yuffie. "Well, that is to say if Brucey doesn't swallow you whole first."

The men all laughed. "I dunno, how much you wanna bet she could swallow YOU whole?" Again the laughter, but this one brought a sharp red blush across the battered cheeks of the young woman.

"I swear to Leviathan…" she whispered, her voice ragged and hoarse from screaming, "I will bite down on anything that comes near me and nothing short of death with pry me off." She knew it was a hollow threat, as exhausted as she was she doubted she could latch on that tight. But the threat had worked, the men stopped laughing.

A sharp slap across her cheek brought another cry from her lips.

"Fine, if you want to treat us like animals, we'll take you like animals." The man snapped his fingers and the three sets of hands dragged her through the alley. They lifted her easily as if she weighed less than a chocobo feather and forced her face first over a crate left in the alley, her rear in the air as if she were some kind of beast. She was helpless, bent over the wet wooden box as the men tugged and ripped at her last line of defense, her underwear.

The cold night air brushed against her exposed flesh, sending shivers down her pale body. Tears continued to rain down her cheeks as she fought weakly against her captives.

"Man, lookit her squirm!"

"I tell ya, that's almost tantalizing enough to make me wanna take first cuts!"

A deep growl filled the alley. "No, she bled me. Now I'll bleed her. I'm first."

Yuffie closed her eyes tight. Her mind racing in fear. She was helpless to the attack and she hated it. Never in all of her life had she felt so powerless. And worse yet, she was about to lose the one thing she had saved her entire life. People called her greedy and self-centered. But this one gift she had saved for him. Her one true love. The only man she could trust and dream about. She wanted him here now. He could save her, and be so damn cool about it.

Yuffie thought about it, the longing and need for his help. She prayed that he would come at just the last minute, his red cape billowing in the wind. She prayed to hear the triple shot of his Death Penalty rip into the skulls of these beasts, with the final thug being torn to shreds by bare hands. She knew he'd rescue her, just as he always did before. He would stand, cool and collected at the end of the alley-way afterwards. And she would embarrassingly smile at him.

His dark red eyes would take her in and she would futilely try to conceal herself. His big strong arms would enclose around her to keep her warm and safe out of the rain. His gruff voice would sooth her racing heart. She would be his, and she would give herself to him eagerly, even in this alley if he desired it.

But that was fantasy, not reality.

Her lips parted as the hands held her down, knowing the inevitable was soon approaching. Her voice, nothing more than a pleading whisper, escaped her throat as she moaned his name, praying for her dark savior, "Vincent…."

And then the world flipped upside down.

Seconds before, she had known she was powerless to these animals. They would take her and gloat about it. Torment her in her last moments on Gaia. Call her names she dare not consider and do things she dare not have nightmares about.

But then the rush of warm liquid splashed across her bare back. It was hot and natural, but not vulgar. It smelled of meat. It was blood.

The splash was soon accompanied by a gurgle, and then a sickening wet thud as one of the sets of hands released her.

"What the fuck?! BRUCEY!" roared the big man.

A strike of lightning streaked across the sky. Looking down she saw the crumbled body of one her attackers, his head severed from the rest of his body and rolling through the alley to stop beside a trashcan. And then the light was gone.

"You son of a bitch!" The remaining hands let her go and she could hear them backing away from the crate.

Another flash of lightning. Yuffie saw the remaining three men over her shoulder, staring wide-eyed down the alley. And again the darkness filled the alley.

Then her eyes widened in realization. Her dream had come true! Her head quickly turned up to look down the end of the alley at her rescuer, her eyes straining to focus in the night. "Vinc..." she began, before her jaw fell open in shock. There was no billowing cape. There was no tri-barrel gun. There was no red eyed demon to save her.

Instead, hovering roughly six feet off the ground hung a small red glow. Her eyes strained to make it out; trying to see what kind of machinery was producing the light. It bobbled back and forth quickly, as if dancing through the rain that threatened to block it out.

"Alright, you fucking ass-holes," growled a deep voice from just behind the red glow. "Which of you sons of bitches dies next?"

The bare ninja tilted her head in a confused state. The voice seemed strangely familiar, yet she didn't recall knowing anyone with a red dot on their face. Slowly she slumped down off of the box and found herself in a chilling pool of water, fingers darting against the ground to find some shred of clothing.

There was another flash of light, more lightning ripping across the sky. Yuffie's eyes grew wide at the revelation.

The red dot wasn't what she had thought it was. It was a fire, burning on the end of a small white stick in a man's mouth. The embers of a cigarette. The blonde man was visible for only a brief second, the light glinting off of the two pieces of glass across his forehead, his flight goggles. A dirty scarf around his neck billowed in the wind as the man took a long drag from his cigarette, causing the ember to flare brightly.

"You bastard! This didn't concern you!" Roared the leader, his voice heavy with rage. "But you've gone and killed Brucey, now you're meat! We've got the advantage here you miserable human! Get him!"

Yuffie thought she heard the faint sound of a chuckle coming from her long-time friend before running boots splashed cold water in her face, causing her to cower back for shelter.

"Gonna gut you like a fish!" Screamed the high-pitched man, his voice growing more distance as he charged at the entrance of the alley.

"Yeah, you and what fucking army?" Mocked the pilot.

Seconds later the sounds of blows connecting, followed by a loud snapping echoed across the alley. A heavy body splashed to the ground in the darkness.

"You're a thousand years too fucking young to run with my shit, you pole-smoking fashion victims!" Called the gruff voice into the night. Yuffie realized that despite her handicap in the night, her friend didn't seem to suffer the same.

Moments later she heard the gruff voice mutter a single word, 'fire', before the body now laying on the ground burst into flames, shedding light into the entire enclosure. In mere moments her rescuer had dispatched two of the four men she herself couldn't even annoy. She was beside herself with relief and joy.

The hiss of water evaporating as the rain poured onto the fire filled the air. But this was magical fire, not easily doused. Looking up she saw her savior, not the one she had dreamed up, but one she would thank profusely none-the-less. It was the last person she had expected to see, ever. She last saw him two years ago, shortly after the Kadaj incident. He had parted ways from the rest of the group, claiming to know things that the others refused to believe.

In the long time away, she had assumed he would have grown old, tired, ragged looking. Instead he looked exactly the same. His bright blonde hair remained as full as ever, dripping water across his rugged jaw line. The short stubble on his face cast a dark shadow across his features as the fire burned fiercely. His jacket, with the arms rolled up to his biceps, tensed with muscles that remained solid and strong through the years. Even his piercing blue eyes remained as sharp and clear as the day he parted from his friends.

The two remaining mutates, their numbers severely reduced, began to step back. "Hey look, maybe we can come to some kind of agreement neh? Maybe we were a bit hasty…" The smaller of the two men began, his hands fumbling around his waist. Suddenly his arms snapped up, two sharp blades flying through the air right at the pilot.

With a simple twirl of his fingers the spear was up, knocking the weapons aside. They skittered to the ground near Yuffie's hiding place, resting just inches from where her own weapon lay in a puddle of blood.

Then she heard it.

Cid Highwind, pilot of the airship Shera, was chanting something as he took a step forward into the alley. The very atmosphere in the alley began to warm and she could swear she saw droplets of rain, moments before hitting a puddle, stop and begin to actually lift back into the air. Lightning crashed outside on the main road.

And then crashed again.

And again.

Each crack of electricity grew closer and closer, until the final streak landed just behind the pilot himself. His spear drew back over his shoulder, his fingers gripping it in a hurling position.

Finally one last bolt of lightning raced from the sky and landed on the very butt of the spear, causing the weapon to glow a brilliant golden color. "Ramuh damns you to hell, you fucking maggot!" The blonde-haired warrior yelled as the spear was thrown through the air.

The mutates could only stand in shock as the crackling weapon hurled through the alley. The tip finding its home squarely in the chest of the smaller of the two. He screamed in shock and pain. Blood erupted from his wound. He coughed and stumbled.

"Is that….that all you got!" he gasped, a sadistic grin forming across his thin lips.

Cid's cool gaze never left the man. His hand reached up and plucked the now finished cigarette butt from his mouth and flicked it to the ground. "Not even close, you little bitch," And with that, the blonde pilot snapped his fingers.

The energy inside the spear erupted, dancing all along the mutate's body. Electricity coursed through every fiber of his being. It burst his lungs as he tried to scream. It popped the soft jelly of his eyes as he tried to shed a tear. And finally his body exploded, raining red mist across the alley.

The spear clattered harmlessly to the ground.

Yuffie stood finally, throwing her arms in the air, indifferent to her current condition of concealment. "Yeah! You go! I knew…"

Suddenly large fingers gripped around her shoulders, drawing her away from her safe spot near the crate. Looking back she could see the large man gritting his teeth in anger. She could also sense the fear and desperation in his eyes and she allowed a small smirk to cross her lips.

"You hold it right there you little insect!" Roared the man, holding the tiny frame of the female ninja in front of him like a shield. "This shit didn't concern you, and now you've gone and ruined our little fun! My boys are dead and if you take one more step closer, so will this pretty little lady!" Sharp fingernails dug against her tender flesh, causing a small cry of pain to escape her lips.

The pilot regarded the man with cool, unwavering eyes. "Yeah? So what now?" he took another step forward, slowly closing the gap between him and the hostage taker.

"Now you stay right there, and I'm gonna radio my boss for orders." His fingers dug deep enough to cause small rivers of crimson to run down the pale ninja's exposed shoulders. "And you're killing her. Stop right there."

Cid stopped his approach. His eyes slowly glancing back and forth between the ninja and the mutate. His jaw clenched as he narrowed his eyes.

Yuffie could feel a sharp blush dancing across her cheeks. She was suddenly and overwhelmingly embarrassed. She was being paraded about, in the buff, as a human shield. And the cold rain wasn't helping her any either. "S-Sorry old man," She whimpered, her body trembling as she hung weakly in her captors arms. "I guess I just wasn't good enough."

Shock crossed Cid's normally gruff features. "Kisaragi? Is that you ya damn kid? Well, shit!"

The ninja blinked several times, mostly from confusion and then realization. "What?! You mean you didn't come rescue me because it was **me**?!"

Cid Shrugged. "To be honest, I figured you were a little boy being fucked up by some bullies."

Yuffie fumed, her legs kicking furiously at the pilot who remained just out of reach. "A little BOY?! You old bastard! I'll have you know my breasts are known far and wide as the most sensual in the world!"

This drew a deep chuckle from the pilot. "Sure sure right, whatever ya say ya damn brat. So I guess there's not gonna be a reward for taking a little boy back to his fucking mother eh?" a hand reached up, scratching his stubble. "Damn, I was hoping for a warm bed and warmer booze too. Speaking of warm bed, it looks like you could fucking use one." His rough, calloused finger lowered to point at her chest. "Ding, the damn turkey's done."

Suddenly forgetting her current position, the Wutainian screamed and squirmed desperately to claw the pilot's eyes out. "You damn senile old man! How dare you say that! Can't you see I'm in trouble here?"

"Would you two both shut the fuck up!" The captor suddenly yanked up hard on both of her arms.

Yuffie's eyes grew wide as two loud pops echoed in the alley-way. Fighting against the pain was futile as darkness quickly overtook her. The ninja fell limp in the man's grasp.

"You fucking prick! I'm gonna royally fuck you up now!" Roared the captain, his previous humor gone from his features.

"Oh yeah? You and 'what fucking army'?" the mutate mocked, holding the limp ninja in front of him. "I've got the upper hand here! I've got the girl, you're weaponless, and I'm far stronger physically! You're nothing you little shit!"

A small smirk danced onto the blonde-haired man's lips. "Let's test that, shall we?" His eyes narrowed as he stared the hostage-taker down.

The mutant-man grinned, grabbing the ninja by only one arm now and raising his now free hand to swipe at the weaponless captain. Suddenly he froze, his eyes locking on the deep cobalt pools of Cid's gaze. His body began to tremble as he struggled to maintain his grip on the limp Yuffie.

The exchanged lasted only a moment.

The mutate was staring at him one minute, and the next Cid was gone. Looking down he saw that he no longer had the ninja woman in his grasp. In fact she was now several feet down the alley, lying across the crate they had planned to use to violate her. A dark brown jacket lay across her as a makeshift blanket.

The pilot, now standing beside the crate and far from the burley man had his back turned, staring out into the street. The large spear was resting across his shoulders and behind his head, his arms hung lazily hooked over the shaft.

And then his vision split. A vertical black line formed across his eyes as he stared at the blonde man's back. He opened his mouth to speak, but found his tongue wouldn't move. Or moreover, it wouldn't move together. He soon discovered his tongue, like the rest of him, was no longer whole. Straight down the middle his body had been split, so instantaneously that his brain still had time to think. Moments before his left side separated from his right, the large man had one final thought. _Damn…That was fast…_

The dull pain in her shoulders forced her eyes to flutter open weakly. The rain was beginning to die down, reduced to a very gentle sprinkle. However it didn't matter, her savior had enclosed his jacket around her to grant her warmth and protection.

Glancing up, she barely made out the silhouette of her long-time friend reach into one of his pockets and draw something up to his mouth. With a flick of his lighter the cigarette blazed to life. The fire he had produced on the corpse was beginning to die, destroying what little vision she had left in the night.

His head tilted slightly, cocking down to look at her shivering frame. She offered a weak smile up at him before her eyes began to force themselves closed again. She barely made out his last words before exhaustion overcame her.

"Don't worry, ya fucking brat, I'll take care of you…"

In her mind, as it began to drift off, it was Vincent who said it. And she smiled, knowing her knight in shining armor would save her all along. _Mmm Vincent, my hero…_

END OF CHAPTER 1


	2. My Angel

Disclaimer: All elements of Final Fantasy VII are copyright 1997 Square Co., Ltd. Anything else recognizable is likewise not owned by the author and/or is completely coincidental. No money is being made from this story.

Rated M for mild content, violence and language (mostly Cid's).

Author's Note: Thank you to the people that reviewed my first chapter. Your reviews meant a lot to me. I do hope you continue to enjoy the story, though you must remember, not every chapter will be filled with fighting, because that eventually gets boring. And, I love Cait Sith, but I never want to write his accent again after this story is finished. It's a pain in the ass to write. Also, my roommate has been working on some pictures to go along with this story, as she's been reading ahead as my beta. You can find the links to them on my profile page. Constructive criticism is welcome, as are rave reviews! Flames will be used to help make s'mores.

**Chapter 2**

**My Angel**

"NO!"

Yuffie screamed as she sat upright, causing waves of pain to wrack her body. Her breath escaped in desperate gasps as she flung her arms out, fighting off attackers that didn't exist. Her legs kicked but found no purchase, being instead tangled in a large cloth. Her pitch-black hair hung in sweat-soaked strands across her forehead as she stared wide-eyed at the simple brown wall before her.

Panting heavily, the young ninja tried to calm her racing heartbeat. She was no longer in the dark alley-way being assaulted. Instead, she was now safely lying in a comfortable bed, the early morning light just beginning to bring the first sign of illumination into the window. Confusion quickly replaced terror as her eyes darted back and forth across the room.

"W-Where…?" Her voice, much to her surprise, was a little hoarse.

Looking down Yuffie examined her arms, which now lay limp in her lap. Everything from her fingertips to her shoulders was coiled in a snow-white cloth bandage, each layer slightly over-lapping the last to offer complete coverage. Her shoulders throbbed with a dull pain she remembered from her assault; the cause of her unconsciousness to begin with. But luckily she was able to still move her arms, albeit slowly as sudden movements shot more pain racing down her spine.

The young woman smiled to herself, flexing her fingers back and forth into fists against the tight bandages. Gripping the heavy comforter that lay across her lap, she tossed it aside to reveal that her legs and torso were equally covered. Her chest, abdomen, thighs and ankles were wrapped tightly in the cloth, causing a tiny titter of a giggle to escape her lips.

_My gawd_, she thought to herself, _I look like a mummy in one of those cheesy horror flicks. _

Looking around the room, her head tilted in confused thought. This obviously was someone's home; the discarded laundry lying about was more than proof of that. Everywhere she looked she found either t-shirts thrown haphazardly across a small black dresser or socks hanging limply out of a hamper as if trying desperately to escape the concept of being thrown into a washer.

Beside the large bed she lay in, the thief noticed a small bowl atop a nightstand. Steam rose from the tan liquid in the bowl, chunks of vegetables and noodles drifting lazily against each other. The aroma drifted to her nose, causing her to salivate. Carefully she reached her hands out and drew the bowl to her, grasping the small wooden spoon that lay resting on the table.

Awkwardly she wrapped her bandaged fingers around the utensil and began to eat. Her jaw hurt anytime she was forced to chew a chunk of vegetable, but the warm broth was soothing down her throat. She was thankful that whoever's home she was in had enough fore-sight to prepare her something to eat.

She set the spoon down lightly against the side of the bowl. _Come to think of it, who…_

But before her thought could finish she remembered. A sigh of disappointment escaped her lips before she resumed her meal. She remembered that it wasn't her dreamboat of a man that rescued her, but instead it was the nightmare-submarine of a jerk-face.

_Of course this is Cid's home, the bed reeks of beer and it doesn't look like he's cleaned up in years. I swear I don't know how Shera can put up with him._ A smile danced across her lips as she let the spoon hang in her mouth just a moment longer_, but boy does Shera make a mean chicken soup._

By the time she had finished her meal, Yuffie felt confident enough to get out of bed, despite the pain in her thighs and stomach. Setting the small wooden bowl aside she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. It was a bit uncomfortable to bend her joints as her feet lightly thumped down against the hardwood floor.

With a huff of frustration the ninja quickly went to work re-adjusting her bandages. "I swear, you'd think Shera would know a girl's curves better than this," she mumbled to herself as she worked the gauze-wraps more comfortably into the folds formed by her bending legs.

Hissing between her teeth, she slowly drew herself off of the bed to stand on her wobbling legs. "Okay not the most graceful dismount from a bed I've ever done," Yuffie joked to herself, taking several small baby-steps away to test her balance.

Confident in her abilities, Yuffie began to search the pig-sty of a room. Resting on the dresser, beside a pile of sweat-stained blue t-shirts, lay her large shuriken as well as her armguard and a small potato-sack of little crystal balls. But surprisingly, she found very little remains of her clothing.

A small blush began to form across her cheeks as her eyes caught the mirror hanging above the small dresser in the room. Sure the bandages wrapped around her body enough to conceal anything lady-like, but she could feel the soft cloth against bare skin and she knew for a fact Cid didn't have girly undergarments lying about. _Although_, she noted, _this might be a new fashion trend for me_.

A light giggle drifted from the perky ninja as she struck a quick pose in the mirror, leaning forward just enough to rest her hand on one of her wrapped thighs. She used the other to mimic the motions of blowing a kiss to the reflective glass. "This one's for you Valentine," she muttered before straightening herself out. Her hand quickly reached up to brush back strands of her hair that threatened to fall across her eyes as her cheeks again reddened.

"Yeah, as if," she sighed, turning herself in the mirror to better see the damage done to her.

As near as she could tell there was no outward damage to her short of a few scratch marks on her neck and a black bruise on one of her hips. The rest, she knew, were all internal injuries that would take several more days of healing before she was at top form again.

A shudder ran along her back as she thought of what 'could' have been, instead of what was.

"I owe him, I guess," She said, the coarseness of her voice clearing up with each passing moment.

Again she looked around the room, sighing as she continued to find only larger clothes fit for men. Obviously this was a room not accustomed to a woman's presence.

The Wutai-native huffed as she lightly stamped one of her feet on the ground, "I don't believe this! His wife could have at least lent me some of her old-lady clothes!"

Finally resigning herself to her fate, she snatched one of the large white shirts she discovered hiding in the dresser drawers and slipped it over her head. It hung loosely across her tiny frame, the short sleeves of the t-shirt almost long enough to touch her bandaged wrists. This drew another giggle from the ninja's lips.

"I'll just have to have a talk with her! Maybe she didn't think I'd be up this early." Yuffie said, reaching her wrapped fingers out and pulling the bedroom door open slowly.

The hinges creaked, protesting the agonizingly slow movement as the thief peeked her head out through the doorframe. Looking down the hall into the darkness of the house, she listened for sound of life.

"Hello?" She called weakly, waiting several seconds for a response.

When none came, she threw the door open with a quick jerk. The door groaned in defeat as the young ninja stepped out into the dark hallway. "Hello? Shera? Cid?" she called again, her throat throbbing gently as she spoke. Her legs drew her out of the bedroom and into the darkness of the hallway.

Two doors flanked her sides as she stepped out. One was closed and by her touch of the knob was locked. The other was the bathroom with the door hanging wide open and unoccupied.

Slowly she crept down the hall, stepping on her toes when she could to avoid the loud creak of hardwood as she walked. Bringing herself to the end of the hall, Yuffie stepped into the illuminated kitchen. A small window above the sink cast more light onto the floor than she had been receiving in her room. From the clock on the wall she saw it was already mid-morning and that she was probably the only person that had still been in bed.

Looking about the small house she found the décor to be much the same as the bedroom. Everywhere she looked there were stacks of clothes, piles of mechanic magazines, and towers of boxes she only assumed would contain oily and icky parts. Not one spot of this house showed any sign of a woman's touch, much to Yuffie's surprise.

"Ow, you fucking hairball!" Yelled a voice from outside, drawing the young woman's attention to the backdoor. Peering out, she saw a dusty, barren yard strewn with parts and tools and junk of all kinds. A large red tarp covered an object even bigger than the house in the distance, a small thin propeller blade peeking innocently out from underneath.

"No, I don't think touching the fucking blue wire to the damn red wire will help!" The voice yelled again.

"Don't you fucking do that! I swear to whatever god you worship that…." This time his voice was cut off as a loud boom echoed from the yard, rattling several dirty dishes that lay waiting in the sink.

Yuffie gasped as she grabbed the handle to the backdoor and swung it open, fearing the worst of her friend. Racing out, her delicate ears were assaulted by a wave of profanities and curses she hadn't heard in years.

A black cloud of smoke rose up from the large mechanical moogle that was resting on two large truck ramps. Singed fur sizzled and hissed, giving the faint illusion of popcorn.

"Too right, Ciddy boy! Much apologies! I figured that'd help!" Piped a small black figure that came bounding away from the large white mog machine. A small golden crown bobbled on his head as a red cape flapped behind the small, bipedal cat. A smoldering fire had ignited on his tail to which the little creature had busied himself to put out.

A light giggle caused the creature to stop his tail-dousing and look up, offering a bright smile to the young ninja. "Why, 'ello there, lass! How ya feelin'?" chirped the small cat, his tail now just simmering to a small stream of smoke.

"I'm fine, Cait Sith, but what about..." She began before the stream of profanity cut her off.

The disgruntled Cid Highwind wheeled himself out from under the mog's undercarriage, a small dolly sliding him across the smooth ground. His normally rugged, handsome face was now black as night with soot. Reaching up, he slid his goggles off of his eyes, giving him the appearance of a raccoon with the bare patch of skin across his cheeks. His mouth never stopped yelling the profanities except to spit out the now decimated remains of what appeared to be a cigarette that had banana-peeled in the explosion.

"I told you, you damn bucket of bolts! The wire was still live! How many damn times must I tell you to let me fucking work and mind your own business!" Storming away from the raised project he had been working on, Cid snatched a dirty rag from his toolbox and began to wipe his face off.

The little cat looked downtrodden, kicking his foot against the dirt. "I'm sorry, Ciddy boy, I was just offerin' a wee bit of help, thas' all."

The dark blue of the captain's eyes glared at the little robotic cat before he threw the rag over his shoulder. "Now I've gotta start over on the leg servos! Ya damn well shorted out half of the main systems and…" he stopped, his gaze turning to meet that of the smiling ninja.

"Hiya Cid!" She chimed happily, waving the fingers of one hand teasingly at him.

A small grunt was all he responded with before he was busy fiddling with his pockets. Moments later a freshly lit cigarette hung from his lips while the cloud of smoke drifted around his head.

The pilot turned away from her and began to return to his earlier project, mumbling something incoherent to both the thief and the cat. Offering a small shrug to one another, both bound off after him.

"Hey, um, old man," she started as Cid squatted down and began to rummage through his toolbox, "I, uh, well I just wanted to thank you for last night. I mean, you really helped me out there and, well…" She could tell he wasn't paying too much attention to her, so she finally just trailed off.

Meanwhile Cait Sith looked on curiously. His little crown slid back and forth atop his head as he shifted his gaze between his two friends.

"So, listen, I was just wondering. What were you doing out there? I mean not that I'm not grateful, but Midgar's a long way away from Rocket Town and…" Again her words fell on deaf ears, the captain simply tossing tools aside as he searched.

"Look, just because we haven't seen each other in years, doesn't mean you can give me the silent treatment! What's going on here old man?" Finally a tinge of anger began to rise in her voice.

"How're your damn arms?" He mumbled around the cigarette, taking another long puff as he placed a small screwdriver into his belt loop.

The question caught her off-guard. Blinking her grey eyes quickly she held her arms up straight as if to show him. "They're….fine, why? Oh, yeah, that guy, he did something to 'em, right? I seem to remember a lot of pain, but they feel a lot better now!" She emphasized by spinning her arms in large windmills. A sharp wince crossed her face as the dull throb returned to her shoulder blades.

Finally Cid turned his head to fix the ninja in his cobalt stare. "What the fuck are you wearing?" He asked before returning his search in his toolbox.

Yuffie tilted her head to the side slightly. Looking down she pulled the hem of the shirt, near mid-thigh, out to show the size compared to her lithe frame. "What, this? I think it's one of yours. It's all I could find that didn't stink of sweat and booze. Not that I mind the smell of booze, I mean sometimes Barrett lets me indulge when Tifa's not around," The ninja quickly began, her words trailing off into quick run-on sentences.

Cait Sith quickly began to lose interest and busied himself by pouncing at a small yellow butterfly that had fluttered its way into the grassless yard.

Another tool pocketed, Cid snatched the dying cigarette from his mouth and tossed it aside. "And why the fuck are you standing out here in nothing but a shirt and your wrappings?"

A small frown formed across Yuffie's lips. "Cause it's all I had? You know, for being as old as you are, you'd think you'd pick up SOME common sense. I mean, sheesh, you should tell that woman of yours that if she's gonna take care of a beautiful young lady like me, she should at LEAST have something I can wear." Twirling her head from side to side, the girl continued to frown. "Speaking of which, where is Shera anyway? I wanted to…"

A loud clang and clatter of tools stopped Yuffie in mid-sentence, a tiny yelp escaping her lips.

"Son of a bitch," Cid growled, "I've gotta go into town and get a damn part to fix that piece of shit."

He rose quickly and shoved passed her, his hands reaching for another of his much-used sticks. "I'll be back later. Help yourself to whatever I've got in the damn fridge," the pilot grumbled before disappearing around the corner of the house and out of view.

The raven-haired ninja stood in mute disbelief as she stared off in the direction he had left in.

"I don't get it," She whined as she turned to face Cait Sith. "Why did he suddenly get mad? Was it something I said?"

The little black bundle of energy finally gave up his pursuit of the flapping insect. Shaking his head slowly he approached her, giving her a sad smile. "Well, yes 'n' no, Lassy. See, tha's a wee bit o' a tender subject for ol' Ciddy boy."

At her confused expression, Cait Sith reached a tiny paw up and took her by the hand. He led her a bit away from his immobile mog ride to a small picnic table that was in desperate need of a new paintjob. He sat her down on the bench and then attempted to reach the seat himself, kicking his little feet in the air before finally pulling himself up.

"I don't get it. Was it about Shera? Did she leave him?"

"Oh, aye, little lass," Cait Sith confirmed as he sat on the edge of the table. His tiny hind paws dangled in the air as he leaned back a bit. "Tha' is ta say, she left all of us. See…Th' lady Shera has passed on."

A small gasp escaped her lips as she stared at the small mechanical animal.

"Aye, it'd be about two years come next month; tis goin' ta be a hard time for ol' Ciddy boy. He already hated th' warmer months. Now I fear 'e'll be downright ornery."

"Cait Sith?" The small ninja questioned, burying her face against her gauze-covered knees, "What happened?"

"Well, ya see…."

**Two Years Before**

"Cid?" called the soft voice. "Cid, are you still sleeping?" The words were gentle and almost shy. There was still a sense of urgency behind the voice, but they were also hesitant as if they didn't wish to disturb the slumbering captain.

The blonde-haired captain groaned as he grabbed a nearby pillow and threw it over his head. Burying his head between his mattress and the soft cushion, Cid pretended not to hear the voice calling to him from beyond his closed door.

A gentle rapping on his door preceded the light creaking of hinges being opened.

"Cid, I'm coming in, I hope you're decent," Shera warned as her hand move up against the side of her face to shield her eyes just in case her warning had merit. The early morning sun glinted small reflections from the wire frame of glasses hugging the brunette's cheeks, bombarding the sleeping pilot with rays of light.

"Come on, Cid, it's almost noon. You promised." a tinge of sadness filled her voice, her hand continuing to shield her eyes.

A small grunt was his only response.

With a small sigh, Shera walked across the hardwood floor and gripped her free hand into the airplane-adorned sheet that covered the captain. She gave it several gentle tugs.

In response, Cid snatched at the sheet and rolled over, giving another loud groan.

"Cid," the voice came again, this time pleading against his covered ears. "Come on, the harvest is coming in and if we don't get there soon all the good strawberries are going to be gone."

The captain gave a loud, fake snore as he gripped the pillow tight over his head. A small smile spread across his lips as he heard Shera step closer to the bed, giving it a gentle bump as she leaned down to grab for his pillow.

"Oh please, Mr. Captain, don't you think it's time to get out of bed?" The brunette cooed, her fingers reaching for the pillow covering his face.

"Naw, I think it's time ya joined me!" Cid exclaimed suddenly throwing the pillow aside.

The room erupted into giggles as the gruff pilot threw his arms up around Shera and snatched her down, pulling her into the confines of his embrace. The women squealed happily as they rolled against the bed, one vying for dominance over the other in their joyful struggle. A deep laugh joined in on the giggles as strands of dark brown hair tickled across the pilot's nose, filling his nostrils with the scent of Shera's freshly used shampoo.

Soon the struggle ceased, Cid having won the match as Shera contended herself to snuggle into the strong arms around her. Sitting back against the headboard, the cobalt gaze of Cid stared down at the woman in his arms, a small, satisfied smile on his face.

"Ya know, as happy as I am that you're so energetic this morning, we really should be going," Shera suggested as she nuzzled against the broad chest of her grumpy captain. The words were just mumbles really, she was more than happy to just remain where she was. Delicate fingers trailed up and down along the pilot's sides, sending small shivers along his spine.

The pilot gave a small grunt. "Shit, woman, can't ya just be happy?"

"Cid!" Shera reprimanded, giving his side a gentle slap. "That's 5 Gil for the swear jar. And yes, Mister Savior-of-the-World, I am happy. But if you want me to try that dessert I picked up, we really need to get to that market. You know all the good strawberry batches are gone by noon and I know how much you love those little red things."

"Pssh, 5 gil worth it," Cid confessed, giving her a gentle pinch. A small squeak from Shera drew a dark grin to his lips. "'Course," He said, trailing his fingers up to lightly brush across the sides of the woman's chest earning himself a soft gasp from the woman in his arms, "I could think of something more that I love."

"Oh, stop it," She said, pushing off against his chest and drawing away from his arms before she lost all will-power to his touch. Quickly she climbed to her feet and straightened the wrinkles out of her yellow sundress. "We'll have plenty of time for that later. AFTER dinner," she added, snatching one of his neatly folded shirts from the dresser and tossing it to him.

"I still don't get why you're making me get all dressed up. What is it, like a special occasion or somethin'?" The pilot grumbled, slipping his head and arms through the fabric tossed at him.

"Oh, stop whining, you big cry baby. I'm not asking you to get dressed up, just wear something nice." Shera excused herself from his room and walked down the hall, the gentle thumping of her feet on hardwood getting lighter and lighter as she moved away from the bedroom. "And that means NO flight goggles." She added.

The pilot grumbled as he got out of bed and drew a pair of pants on over his boxers. "Shit, I ain't got nothin' nice."

"I heard that! Another 10 Gil in the swear jar." She called.

"Dammit, woman! You're gonna drain my wallet with this jar thing!" Cid fumed, grabbing his goggles from a small hook on the wall as he stormed out of his bedroom.

"That's 15," she said, grabbing a small wicker basket off of the counter, "And I'm trying to help you get over this nasty habit." She frowned as the blonde man drew a cigarette pack off the counter and lit one up. "Oh well, one habit at a time I guess," she mumbled to herself before escorting him out of their back door and towards town.

Cid stopped long enough in their well-maintained yard to snatch his spear from its resting place leaning against the side the house. His fingers trailed down the hilt as his blue eyes examined the well-polished weapon. Eight sparkling orbs of various colors rest embedded in several sockets along the length, each possessing the ability to ignite power to his touch. He only carried the essential materia anymore, mostly green and a few red. His world-saving days were far behind him.

Dark brown eyes stared behind two oval pieces a glass at the pilot. "Must you bring that thing? I seriously doubt you're going to need to save the world on the way to picking up a few pieces of fruit."

"Sh..." he caught himself, clearing his throat, "Shoot woman, this thing's saved my life more times than I can count. Ya never know when ya might need it. Plus," he added, shifting nervously as he rested the spear across one of his shoulders. His free hand reached into one of his jean pockets and brushed against a small hinged box resting in his pocket. "It gives me courage, ya know?"

"Oh? And what does CAPTAIN Highwind need courage for?" She smiled, lacing one of her arms through the crook of his elbow as they walked. A happy hum vibrated against her throat as she drew her body against his side, savoring the brief tensing of his muscles at her touch.

"Ya know, for things that guys always…have trouble doing?" He finished, trying to hide the small felt box as he drew his empty hand out of his pocket and swung his arm with hers as they walked.

The 'market' was little more than a few merchant stands set up along the outskirts of town. Each vendor had his own variety of wares, ranging from edibles to the exotic, such as rare parts or the occasional fossil.

Since having saved the world, Cid found that his peaceful little town had become quite popular. In no small result from his activity, he assumed. People from far and wide journeyed to see Rocket Town. The large crater that once housed his beloved rocket ship was now nothing more than a tourist trap. Several small inns had sprung up, and of course business was booming for the already established shops of his town. Not that Cid minded that part, the more business the shops got the easier it was for him to get parts for his new pet project.

A new plane.

Sure, he had the airship, _Shera_, at his disposal. But as of late, Reeve had all but commandeered it for some mission or another. His heart longed for that tiny little propeller plane he had before. His Tiny Bronco. And he was so close to completing it. He just had to get his hands on a few spare materia and a new panel for one of the wings. Then he'd use it to enact his master plan.

He'd sweep Shera off her feet; fly her to some remote island that only a few birds and fish knew of. There, out of the judging eyes of the world, he'd show himself at his weakest and pop the hardest question any man could possibly muster. And all he needed was a few more days.

Upon arriving at the market, Shera excused herself and hurried off. A small chuckle escaped his throat as he watched her bounce from one stand to another. _Like a damn kid_, he thought. _Lookit her, where does she get the energy? _

Meanwhile Shera had a plan. She had made arrangements months in advance with one of her friends. He promised her that he'd hold the best pick of berries from his farm just for her and that no one else would be allowed to view, let alone purchase, them. She knew Cid was nervous about something. She felt it was probably her fault and she was guilty for it.

_I'm nothing but trouble for that man_, she reflected, _and he's done so much for me. Wait 'til he gets a taste of this though! Oh, he's gonna love it. And I'm sure whatever's bothering him will slip away like nothing._

So lost in her thoughts, Shera was oblivious to the shadow falling upon her.

---

"What do you call this crap?" Cid grumbled, rummaging through a box of parts a vendor had set on the table for him. He shoved many lumps of rusted, useless chunks of metal aside as he examined the merchandise.

"Only da best from Junon!" The merchant defended, a small sweat droplet rolling down his cheek.

"Only the shittiest…" Cid corrected, his hands idly bringing a cigarette to his lips and lighting it. His spear rest lazily against the merchant's table, almost in a threatening manner as it wobbled back and forth with each crash of parts.

Then Cid heard the screams.

Spinning around, his fingers grasping his weapon, Cid looked for the source of chaos. Everywhere people were running. Mothers were grabbing their children and fleeing faster than the poor little kids could move. Merchants abandoned their wares in desperation as they fled towards town. Even the birds in nearby trees took flight to escape.

Snatching one escapee by the arm, Cid growled around the smoke-stick in his mouth. "What's going on?"

The small, stout man that Cid knew to be a bartender at the inn stared up at him, wide-eyed. "C-Captain! It's…" His voice broke as a scream filled the air. "..Shera!" he finished as the grizzled pilot let his fingers drop numbly from his captive.

Horrified, Cid burst into a full run into the direction the crowd had fled from. He couldn't make out the cause of the commotion from where he was, but he was able to just make out the top of a large grey sphere in the distance. He cursed and shoved people aside as he desperately made his way through the bustling crowd.

The color drained from his cheeks as he burst through the last of the crowd. His fingers gripped tight around the shaft of the spear as he stared in disbelief. The remaining butt of the cigarette fell from his agape mouth.

Hovering several yards off the ground was a large, grey ball of fire. A demonic black face bobbed and weaved inside the flames as an eerily dark cackle filled the air. Two large flaming arms protruded from the beast, ending in sharp jagged nails. A small, limp object swung back and forth from the claws as the orb of fire waved his arms in glee, dark red blood raining down and splattering across the ground. It was a body impaled on the blazing nails.

It was Shera.

"NO!" screamed the captain, his fingers trembling with rage.

The sudden outcry drew the monsters attention, a sadistic grin forming across his flaming face.

The captain, blind to his anger, charged at the beast. A high pitch whistle filled the air as the spear spun over his head, readying to unleash hell on the monster. "You son of a bitch! I'll kill you! FUCKING KILL YOU!" Cid screamed, tears rolling down his cheeks.

His boots kicked off the ground hard, launching Cid high into the air to come down at the monster from above. The tip of the spear, glistening against the sunlight, pierced air as it drove fast at the flaming orb's smiling face. A blood curdling scream erupted from the enraged man as he drove all of his strength and power into the attack.

But the flaming beast, delighted to see so much action, easily spun to the side and avoided the attack. The sharp point of the weapon raced passed its face by mere inches before wedging itself into the ground below. Shocked, Cid turned his head to stare tear-filled eyes at the ball of fire. A roar of joy burst from the beast's mouth.

Cid yanked his spear free from its earthly prison and raised it again to attack. But a large grey claw backhanded him across the face so hard he was thrown, spiraling in the air, back several yards before landing solid against his shoulder. Blood dripped down his face. Horrified, Cid realized it wasn't his own.

"You son of a bitch!"

Rising back to his feet, Cid prepared to renew his assault only to be met with the menacing gaze of the demon. The gaze began to waver slightly, the monster itself beginning to shake. Another joyful cackle filled the air as the beast began to expand, slowly at first, as if a balloon were being inflated inside of it.

Sudden realization crossed the captain's face as he stood paralyzed at the event. Panting heavily he watched the beast grow larger and larger, its gaze never leaving him as it held the limp form of Shera below its growing mass.

A small smirk crossed Cid's lips. With a quick thrust he planted his spear point-first into the ground before him, raising his arms to either side. "Fine, bitch, kill me and be done with it." And he knew, in the next world, he would see his Shera again.

The bomb exploded before him, burning the air with such intensity that grass surrounding them instantly turned to ash and blew away with the shockwave. Eyes closed and head back, Cid said a final prayer to be reunited with 'her' in the life stream.

And then the blast hit him. Or more over, it hit his spear first.

The weapon was completely destroyed before him sending razor sharp chunks of metal into his flesh. His eyes snapped open wide in sudden pain, the molten metal pieces of his weapon burning into his skin as if they themselves wished for his end. Of course the materia imbedded in the weapon, being of natural origin, was immune to the fire. Heavy blunt orbs smashed against him as well, several still surrounded by large chunks of steel. The force of the materia spheres hitting him lifted his body and launched him back, mere inches ahead of the fire and death quickly approaching.

His battered, beaten body was deposited several yards away, the burnt smell of flesh and atmosphere heavy in the air. His vision tinted with red as he felt the cool air brushing against freshly formed wounds on his body. His head, ears ringing, tilted up weakly to survey his condition. A small curse escaped his lips as his cobalt eyes settled on the jagged chunk of metal, once a piece of his own weapon, now impaling him through his chest. A small glimmer of green crystal peaked out from the edge of his flesh, the very tip of a materia orb still locked in its socket.

A small, cheerless smile crossed his lips as his head fell back and his eyes closed.

The world grew dark and cold.

And then a small white light appeared before him. Peering into the inky blackness, he thought he saw a woman with pure white wings before him. Her arms reached invitingly for him. Her smile, so beautiful, warmed his slowly beating heart. Her dark brown hair flowed around her, giving her the image of slowly descending upon him through water. The angelic figure wore the same caring face of his beloved Shera.

Cid desperately struggled to raise his arms to her but found his body didn't listen to his mental commands. Blonde eyebrows raised in worry as the woman drew closer to him, small sparkles of light drifting across her body as if tiny crystals were embedded in her flesh.

_Where am I?_ He thought. _Am…am I dead? Are…you dead too, darlin'?_

"I'm sorry, Cid, my love," The angel called, a sad flicker crossing her eyes. "It was my time I'm afraid. But the world, the planet, the people, everything still needs you." Her arms finally reached him, gentle fingers caressing against his neck. "I can't let you leave just yet."

"But…Shera…" he said, though his lips never moved. "I can't …do it alone. I need…"

"You're not alone, Cid. You have friends. Tell them," Her lips, inches from his ear, whispered to him. "Tell them what you saw in space that day. Warn them. They will help you."

His teeth clenched in frustration as Shera's arms gripped tight around his shoulders, hugging his body against her own. Unable to move his own arms to embrace her was pure torture to his soul. "Don't leave me, Shera. Please…I don't have a reason to go on without you. I won't be able to fight alone. Dammit woman, I can't beat that thing by myself!" He pleaded, the tears forming in his pure blue eyes causing Shera's image to waver slightly.

"Captain Cid Highwind," the angel chastised, a sad smile dancing across her pale lips, "You are not now, nor have you ever, been by yourself. You have to convince them of what you saw," the words danced against his ear as she lightly pressed her lips against it.

"I tried, Shera. You know I did." Cid cursed, his body aching. "They said I was insane. They wouldn't believe me. They said there couldn't be another." His body warmed as the loving arms squeezed tight around him, hugging him to the celestial figure.

"They said there couldn't be…another Weapon."

---------

"Get that I.V. over here, goddamn it!"

"No, no, not that fucking one. Get that other needle! Shit, he's lost a lot of blood!"

The room was in an uproar as men and women hurried about. High-tech monitors beeped and blinked as operators pushed buttons, bringing vital information to the screen. Tubes of all kinds hung lazily down from below several of the monitors, each ending in a sharp pointy needle. Several of those needles disappeared into the flesh of the scorched and bloody figure lying on the operating table.

The room was located on one of Shinra's latest helicarriers. It was designed to be a fast response rescue unit that was more or less a mobile operating room. And it was getting put through its paces today.

The explosion at Rocket Town had set off all kinds of red lights at Shinra Headquarters, mainly because the president had a friend or two living there. Unbeknownst to his friends, each one was being monitored just in case of emergencies such as this one.

Reeve watched from behind reflective glass as his employees quickly went to work on his long time friend. His arms folded behind his back as he stared, unwavering at the activity. Reeve tried as best he could to hide his emotions, despite the worry and fear wracking against his brain.

"Give me a status report." Reeve called as a man in a white coat and carrying a clipboard hurried through one of the automated sliding doors to the observation room.

The man tensed slightly as he began to flipping papers. "Ah, well, sir, it seems that the majority of the explosion was redirected from hitting his main body. From what we can tell he had some kind of metal barrier in front of him that shielded him."

"His spear," Reeve corrected.

"Ah, yes, sir, his spear. Fortunately for him the orbs of materia carried in the blast actually cushioned the shockwave from hitting him. He's lucky really. They actually propelled him ahead of the worst part." When Reeve didn't interrupt, the man continued, "UNfortunately, it seems several large shards of the spear punctured his skin. For the most part they missed his vital organs, however…" the doctor hesitated.

"However?" Reeve urged on.

"However," the man finished, "A large shard, still housing a green materia, has come dangerously close to his heart. The metal itself isn't the problem, but it's resting that materia right on the organ. We can get rid of the offending metal no problem, but I'm afraid if we try to move the materia it could cause… complications."

Reeve, a sigh finally escaping his lips, turned completely to face the man. "What kind of complications?"

"Well, we're not one hundred percent sure but we believe the materia is actually keeping him alive." At the confused look from his boss, the man hurriedly added, "See, by all means, the man should be dead. But the materia is acting as a kind of, how do I put this… battery."

"What like a pacemaker?" Reeve asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Oh no, no, sir, it's nothing like that. It's not actually beating his heart for him. But we feel that it's actually enhancing him. We ran several tests and we found large traces of the materia energy in his blood. It's actually very similar to the research notes you had us examine before." The doctor concluded, flipping the papers down on the clipboard.

Reeve nodded, turning back to watch as his employees worked frantically on his friend. "You mean the Mako Injection Project?"

"That's right, sir. We're not positive but we believe that, due to his already well maintained physique, the materia inside of him is actually amplifying his life force."

"What materia is it anyway?" Reeve asked, leaning closer to the glass as several more men in long white coats rushed into the operating room. A small sigh of relief escaped his lips as he overheard one of the men announce that they managed to halt the bleeding of several wounds.

"Ah, well, sir, it's..." the man started before a loud crash inside the room housing the battered Cid forced him to stop.

"Shera!" Called the captain, flailing his arms and legs about wildly despite the fact he was unconscious. Several men leapt to pin the thrashing captain's legs as others rushed with straps. It took half the room and a dozen tranquilizers before the battered form finally settled down and they were able to resume operations.

"Caw blimey," A little voice chirped up beside Reeve. Cait Sith peered up on tip toes to view into the glass. "Is it really necessary ta be so rough on 'im? I mean th' man DID just 'splode, ya know."

A gentle smile crossed Reeve's lips as he looked down, patting the little robot on the head. "I'm afraid so."

"What now, Reeve? Are we just gonna leave 'im by 'imself? Ya know th' wee Shera was 'is only life line." Squinty eyes peered up at Reeve, causing the dark-haired man to smile at his creation.

"Well, little guy, how would you like to undertake one last mission under my orders?" Reeve offered, as a perplexed look formed across the little cat's face.

------

Tears raced down the young ninja's cheeks as Cait Sith finished his story. Her bandaged fingers reached up to wipe her cheeks as she sniffled. "Cait Sith, my GAWD, that's a horrible story," Yuffie whined, her bandages growing damp from her tears.

"Aye, lass, but 'tis the truth. Most of it we gathered from witnesses. Th' more personal stuff we got while he was under sedation. he gets pretty lippy when under th' sleep sauce." The little cat assured her, patting her gently on the shoulder.

Another small sob wracked her body as her arms hugged around her knees. She began to rock herself slowly on the old picnic table to ease her shaky nerves. "I can't believe he went through all that and still had the strength for last night…" she mumbled to herself, fighting back another wave of tears.

"Last night?" The cat inquired.

"Yeah, you know when he saved me from those guys? Gawd, Cait Sith, it just happened ya know."

A small robotic laugh escaped Cait Sith's body. "Oh no, Lassy, tha' was nay last night." At her questioning look, he shrugged innocently. "It's been nearly a week since Ciddy brought ya home. You've been unconscious for a good while now."

Gasping, grey eyes stared up at her little friend. "What? A week?! But…but my bandages are fresh!" She held up an arm to show the pure white cloth, now stained with droplets of tears.

"Oh, aye, the good captain would go in every few hours or so and re-wrap em. he said tha' if he left 'em in place too long your wounds might nay heal right proper." His tail idly flopped back and forth against the hard wood as he explained. "'Course; at first I watched him, didn't want him gettin' fresh or nothin'. But he always averted his eyes when he came to the soft and squishies," he teased, pointing at her breasts and groin respectively.

Yuffie felt a hot blush race onto her cheeks. Feeling a bit self-conscious she tugged the hem of the large shirt she wore against her thighs. "But then what about the soup? I mean, I guess you made that right?"

A small shake of his head drew a good natured laugh from the ninja.

"Are you serious?! The old man cooked that? It was almost good!" Her hair, whipping about her eyes as the wind began to pick up, was quickly brushed back by bandaged fingers.

"Oh, aye, he said, and I'm quotin' here, 'tha damn brat's gonna be hungry when she wakes up and I'm not gonna fuckin' listen to it,'" Cait Sith mocked, leaping to his feet and puffing his chest out in his best Cid impression.

This drew another round of giggles from his dark-haired companion.

Settling back down, the little robotic cat scratched the back of his neck bashfully. "He fed ya a few times a day, tilting your head jus' enough to pour some of that gruel of his down ya throat. I guess he wanted ya ta keep ya strength up."

"And, the hot bowl waiting for me this morning?" She inquired, her interest now peaked.

"Ya kiddin' lass? There was always a hot bowl in th' room. He kept cursin' and muttering saying he didnay know when ya'd wake, but he wanted it ready fer ya. Every coupla hours he'd go and put a fresh bowl in there as th' old bowl grew cold."

A bandaged hand reached up to twirl a few strands of her pitch-black hair around a finger, losing herself to her thoughts. It was all a little shocking to her already scrambled mind. She never thought that the gruff and grouchy captain Highwind would have a caring bone in his body.

So lost in their discussions, neither of them was aware of the menacing shadow descending upon them.

**END CHAPTER 2**


	3. A New Houseguest

Disclaimer: All elements of Final Fantasy VII are copyright 1997 Square Co., Ltd. Anything else recognizable is likewise not owned by the author and/or is completely coincidental. No money is being made from this story.

Rated M for mild content, violence and language (mostly Cid's).

Author's Note: Thank you to the people that continue to review. I really do appreciate it. This chapter was rather fun to write. The awkwardness and beginnings of a more personal relationship than simply 'comrades' between Cid and Yuffie was interesting and really enjoyable to create. Constructive criticism is welcome, as are rave reviews! Flames will be used to help make s'mores.

**Chapter 3**

**A New Houseguest**

A deep growl snapped Cait Sith and Yuffie out of their idle thoughts.

Quickly, the ninja leapt to her feet and spun, her fists rising in a defensive manner. The cat-creature squealed and tried desperately to climb to his own feet, only to lose his footing and fall awkwardly off of the picnic table. A small cloud of dust rose from the ground as the furry robot landed crown first on the dirt below. Blinking he looked up to two deep blue orbs staring down at him and Yuffie.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Growled Cid, a plume of smoke rising over his head like a chimney. His mouth shifted a bit to allow the cigarette held in his mouth to dart and back forth.

"Oh 'ey Cap'n Ciddy!" Called the high-pitched voice of Cait Sith, rolling across the dirt from where he had landed and sat up. Tiny paws dusted at his fur before reaching up to adjust the golden crown adorning his head.

Yuffie's arms relaxed at the sight of her friend, a small sigh of relief escaping her lips. "Geeze, old man, you almost made me jump out of my bandages here!" The ninja girl glanced down at the tiny cat companion and gave him a quick wink before turning her attention back up to the blonde haired pilot.

"Ya know it's not good to sneak up on a Wutai-trained ninja, right? I mean we're liable to strike, ya know, like…WA-POW!" She exclaimed, suddenly lifting a leg up to deliver a well-timed kick to the Captain's side.

Cid looked somewhat annoyed as his hand reached up and effortlessly snatched the ankle of the thief as it flew at him. A small look of shock crossed her eyes before he give it a sharp tug, causing Yuffie to lose her balance and fall knees first into the dirt beside the spot Cait Sith had landed mere moments before.

"Owwie!" The raven-haired teenager whined, her bandaged fingers rubbing frantically against her knees. "What's the big idea?! I was only playin' around. Don't you know it's not nice to pick on injured little girls like that?" She glared up at him, her bottom lip curled back in a tiny pout. For a moment he looked taken aback, as if he was ashamed to have hurt her.

Seeing his expression caused a series of giggles to erupt from her lips. "Gawd, Cid, relax. I was only teasin'!" She explained, lifting herself up off the ground and dusting off her freshly dirtied bandages. Her hands batted across her knees, removing the light dusting of brown that had begun to form. Quickly, her hands reached back and patted against her pert bandage-wrapped rear as well, causing Cid to avert his eyes.

Her grey eyes glanced in his direction as soon as she realized what kind of display she was putting on, a mischievous grin forming across her lips. "Oh hooo. Bashful are we? Well, don't be," she added, finishing with her brief pat down, "You're like, a hundred years too old for me anyway. I mean, it's not like you're my darling Vincent. 'Course I doubt he'd bat an eyelash my way," she muttered to herself, "Even being as scantily, albeit cutely, clad as I am."

"Fuckin' kid," Cid mumbled, tossing a rather large multi-colored paper bag down on the table before Yuffie. "Shit I do for you people, I swear to Gaia."

Blinking quickly, Yuffie bent over to peer at the bag as if she could see the contents through an imaginary window in the side. "Oh? What's this? The part ya needed?"

"Naw," he said, waving his hand in the air as if to dismiss the idea. "They didn't have the damn thing I needed. That's for you. I figured you could, hell, I don't know, maybe use 'em or something. The fuck do I know?" He grumbled, reaching into his pocket for another cigarette.

Yuffie squealed with delight as she snatched the bag off the table and held it open, hanging her head inside. "Oh, Cid! Are these…?"

A small grunt was his response as she lifted her head up to look at him, her fingers rolling the top of the bag up as she hugged it against her chest. "It's just some fucking clothes, calm the fuck down. I ain't gonna have you runnin' around butt ass naked in my yard. What the hell would I tell my neighbors?"

The younger woman smiled brightly up at him, and for an instant the young thief thought she saw the slightest tinge of pink form across the gruff man's cheeks.

"I didn't know your size, so I took a guess. Don't blame me if there's not enough damn meat on your bones to fill 'em out." When he looked down and saw she was just smiling up at him, he added, "Shit, don't just stand there lookin' stupid. Go put 'em on, damn it, before someone sees you and reports me for being a fucking child molester." He ordered, lifting his hand to point a demanding finger at his back door.

A small nod was her only response as she scrambled for the house and disappeared inside, the light screen door giving a dull thud as it closed behind her.

A bewildered Cait Sith stood beside his tall friend as both watched the well-trained young woman run inside. "Ya know ya ain't got neighbors, right?" the little creature stated, his tail flicking back and forth quickly.

"Yeah? I also know I don't want that damn brat running around half-exposed, liable to give me a damn heart attack." The captain responded, turning away from the house and heading back for the mog project. "Besides, she just deserves something nice after what happened. Hell if I care though…" Cid muttered, closing the small access hatch beneath the mechanical beast. Quietly, he gathered up his tools and replaced them in the tool box, closing it with a small click and hauling it back towards his house.

"Oh, aye, Ciddy boy," Cait Sith said to himself in a hushed tone, "hell if ya do indeed." The little cat scrambled after his friend as the blonde pilot disappeared into the house.

------------

Yuffie had to clap her hands over her mouth to muffle the sound escaping her lips.

The ninja girl had disappeared into the bedroom she awoke in and locked the door behind her. Once safely inside, she reached into the paper bag Cid had given her and sprawled the contents out on the mattress of the bed. It took all of her might not to roar with laughter.

_Points for size_, she though, _but, sweet Bahamut, does that man have like, ZERO sense of style! _Her fingers quickly grabbed the waist of the black jeans purchased by the captain on his trip to town. She held the pants against her own legs, causing another fit of giggles to escape her lips.

"Does he think I'm gonna go to church or something?" she mused to herself, tossing the jeans aside and grabbing the dull-grey long sleeve shirt the lay spread out on the bed. "Seriously, he couldn't have even picked a black shirt? Rain-cloud grey was his only option?" She complained, holding the shirt up to her chest as she looked in the mirror to judge the sight.

A small frown snuck onto her lips as she held the shirt, her own light-grey eyes stared back at her. "Stupid old man, if I didn't know better, I'd almost think he did it on purpose," she muttered, suddenly feeling a bit ashamed of her chastising.

_Well, this just calls for some good, old-fashioned Yuffie magic_, she thought, snatching a pair of scissors that lay on the dresser. She went to quick work altering her new outfit. She swore that even if she didn't approve of the style, she would at least enjoy his thoughtfulness.

------------

Cid had just deposited his toolbox inside the house and made his way through the kitchen, when he noticed the door to his bedroom was shut. "Fuck," he mumbled, a new stick of tobacco dangling from his lips. "Why didn't the kid just use the damn bathroom?"

"Maybe th' wee lass was 'fraid of th' not-so-wee beasties hiding in yer bathtub?" Cait Sith offered, hopping up onto the kitchen table and snatching a dark red apple from the bowl resting atop it.

The pilot shot him a sharp glare, "Then you could give me a fucking hand and clean it, ya damn freeloader."

The little cat creature offered him a simple shrug before bounding off of the table and down the hall. Once there he reached up and turned the knob to the locked room located across from the bathroom. A soft click echoed down the hall before the door opened and the little robot disappeared inside, closing the door behind him.

The blonde-haired man muttered to himself as he made his way through the kitchen and into his living room, dropping himself across the sofa with a huff. One arm crooked back to prop under his head as he stared up at the small rings of smoke drifting up from his pursed lips.

Lazily, his eyes began to drift closed as the clouds of his smoke began to move and dance above him before crashing against the ceiling and rolling against each other. The small slits of his deep blue eyes stared up at the scene while his mind raced, imagining for several long moments the he could make out the vague outline of shapes in the smoke.

A small sigh escaped his lips as he reached up and plucked the cigarette from his lips and extinguished it within the small metal ashtray on the floor beside his couch. The still warm butt settled into a graveyard of its companions as the pilot stared up at the dissipating smoke above him, waiting patiently.

What he was waiting for, he had no clue.

_Perhaps,_ he thought, _I'm just waiting to die…or maybe…_

Before his train of thought could go any further, he heard the door to his bedroom open and the sound of light footsteps thud against the hallway floor. Sitting up he rubbed a hand across his eyes real quick, the smoke having bothered him to the point to cause a small stinging sensation against his pupils. When his hand fell, his jaw dropped.

Yuffie stood before him, both arms folded behind her back as she smiled brightly. The clothes he had purchased had been greatly altered, much to his amazement. The shirt was missing one sleeve up to the shoulder, the other sleeve having small cuts and openings traveling the entire length. The bandaged midriff of the athletic ninja girl was exposed, small tatters of fabric hanging limp against the white cloth just below her perky chest.

The pants had suffered a similar fate as the shirt. One leg was cropped short, just shy of exposing anything too threatening, while the other had the material around the knee removed, allowing the snow-white wraps of bandages to peek through.

"I hope ya don't mind," Yuffie said, spinning around on one leg to show the pilot the complete view. "I mean I really love it, but it was a bit…old!" she teased at his gaping appearance before bounding away from the hall and dropping herself on the love seat at the end of the couch nearest Cid's feet.

Cid, clearing his throat as he leaned his head back again to rest on his arm, gave a small shrug. "I don't give a damn. It's your shit."

"Yeah," Yuffie agreed, rocking back and forth on the big fluffy chair beside the couch. A small whimper escaped her lips as she crossed her ankles and rocked her knees quickly.

"What the hell's your problem? Gotta pee or somethin'?" The captain said, an annoyed frown forming on his face.

"No!" Yuffie snapped, slapping at Cid's boots on the couch. "Someone, I won't say WHO, but someone, when he went out and was super UN-Cid-like, forgot that we of the fairer sex are quite delicate." An evil grin danced across her lips as she turned her head to look at his confused expression. The light pools of her grey eyes glinted with mischief.

"I don't…." he started before she burst into laughter. Yuffie buried herself in the big chair as she leaned back, kicking her legs in the air as if to tease him further. For a moment in her mirth, she ignored the burning pain in her hips.

"Panties, silly! You forgot panties!" Another roar of laughter filled the room as the normally stoic captain suddenly turned beet red, his facing turning to glare at the cushions of the couch he lay on. A slender finger rose up to point at the blushing captain, her other hand held her stomach as the laughing threatened to draw back the pain that the wraps worked so hard to hinder.

Cid worked his jaw, clenching his teeth behind an angry frown "I notice ya didn't say I forgot a bra too, Ms. Tiny Tits…" the captain countered. When the room fell silent he allowed a small smile to cross his own lips.

"Ooooh you….you Jerk!" She yelled, leaping from her position in the seat and spun to face him. Her bandage-wrapped fingers rest on her hips as she leaned down to glare at him, her cheeks blazing red with anger. "I already told you! Men around the world ADORE my boobs! Hell even the high-and-mighty Vincent Valentine has tried to cop a feel once or twice!"

The captain, now in a fit of his own deep, gruff laugh, drew himself up off of the couch. Standing before the shorter Wutai-native girl he smirked down at her, a hand reaching back to rake fingers through his bright blonde hair. "Oh, is that a fact?"

"Damn right!" She defended.

"And why would he do that? Maybe…" Cid teased, leaning down to grin at her face to face, "…he thought you stole his materia and tried to use it to make yourself look bigger. Most girls your age," he added, savoring the bright red flush forming across the young ninja's cheeks, "use tissue paper."

Yuffie's grey eyes opened wide in shock as the older man suddenly roared with laughter, tears beginning to form against the sides of his eyes as he relished his own joke. She felt a hot blush race across her cheeks as her fingers moved up and grabbed the frayed fabric of her altered shirt. "Do these look like 'tissue paper' to you?!" She yelled, lifting the shirt up to reveal her soft fleshy mounds peeking just over the top of her bandaged stomach.

Cid fell silent as his head quickly snapped to the side to stare at the wall.

"Ahem…" called a tiny voice from behind the raven-haired beauty.

The color drained from both Cid and Yuffie's cheeks as they suddenly realized they were no longer the only two people in the room.

Slowly, blue and grey eyes turned to stare wide-eyed at the little black cat robot that had appeared in the hallway. Cait Sith stood frozen as he stared up at the two, a small cell phone gripped in one of his tiny paws. His tail, which normally flicked back and forth, hung frozen against the ground.

A wave of red raced across Yuffie's cheeks as her hands quickly yanked her shirt back down to cover her exposed breasts. All three stood in mute shock as the gentle ticking of a clock on the wall counted down the long, agonizing seconds.

"Er, I uh, jus' got off the phone with Reeve, and 'e thinks Yuffie should call Tifa. I guess th' wee lass has got th' Strifes worried." Cait Sith spoke first, trying to cut the awkward tension.

"OH!" Yuffie chirped, her hands clasping over her lips. "I figured Cid woulda told 'em where I was!"

The pilot shook his head slowly as he finally managed enough strength in his legs to step around the ninja and make his way into the kitchen. Once there he produced a small, flat panel from a metal resting pad and tossed it to Yuffie.

"Naw, I don't talk to 'em no more. Ta hell with the lot of ya," he mumbled, drawing a chair out at the kitchen table and sitting on it before striking up another smoke.

A confused look crossed the ninja's eyebrows as she held the telescreen in her fingers. "Well then, what about Reeve? Why didn't he tell them? I mean isn't he in your little head?" She asked, addressing the little cat creature.

Cait Sith, in the process of attempting to tip-toe out of the hall and back to his room, froze. "Ah no, ya see I'm special. Ol' Reevey took th' uplink out of me noggin' n' gave me my free will fer good. I'm jus' a wee little kitten now." A sheepish smile danced on his little whiskered face as he tilted his head back to look at the ninja girl. "'scuse me lass, I gotta give th' boss another ringy an' let him know ta nay worry."

The door closed and Yuffie could hear the gentle click of a lock falling into place; almost instantly after was another click, followed by another and then yet another. Apparently Cait Sith wasn't taking any risks and was assuring his safety from the holocaust of the two.

Yuffie allowed a small smirk to cross her lips as she turned her attention back down to the small screen in her hands. Her fingers quickly worked along the sides, pressing small indentions along the outer frame. Seconds later she had the number dialed in and patiently awaited a response on the other end.

The young thief made her way through the kitchen, giving Cid a quick elbow in the shoulder as she passed. "Oh, calm down, old man. It's not like it's the first time you've seen my boobs, ya know?" She assured him, twirling around and hopping up to sit on the counter beside the fridge.

A cobalt blue glare was his answer.

Yuffie wrinkled her nose in a silent laugh as she kicked one leg then the other against the drawers beneath her, her attention returning to the dark screen in her hands. Before long a small chime signaled a response on the other line.

An image of a beautiful brunette buzzed into view in the tiny screen, big brown eyes blinking quickly up at Yuffie.

"Yuffie!" Tifa squealed, a bright smile on her dark red lips.

"Hiya Tifa!" The ninja responded.

"Where have you been, young lady?! We've been so worried about you! Why haven't you called? Are you alright?" Tifa shot quickly, interrupting Yuffie each time she opened her mouth to speak.

Cid just rolled his eyes.

Yuffie waited until the older woman stopped her questions before responding, a small smile spreading across her thin lips. "I'm sorry 'mom'," she mocked, causing Tifa to huff and puff her cheeks out in response. The two shared a bright giggle.

"Sorry about not callin'; I've been kinda busy." The black-haired teen lied, not wanting to worry her long time friend with details of her terrifying ordeal. "But hey, guess who I found!"

When Tifa tilted her head in confusion, Yuffie held the screen out to show a hunched over Cid, another cloud of smoke hanging over his head.

"Oh my! Is that who I think it is?" The screen asked, big brown eyes staring wide-eyed at the captain.

"Yep!" Yuffie reassured, turning the screen back to look at her. "Our favorite, crotchety, old geezer. I'm staying over at his place right now. I kinda got side-tracked so I forgot to give a call, sorry," she apologized, a cute little pout forming on her bottom lip.

"Oh dear, is that okay? I mean…it's been a little over two years since he…" Tifa began before a loud screeching sound filled the kitchen. Looking up, Yuffie saw Cid stand and slam the chair under the table he was previously sitting at. The grumpy captain stormed across the room and threw open several cupboards, pretending to search for something as if to draw himself out of the conversation.

Another voice called out from behind Tifa in the screen, drawing the brunette's attention for a moment. Yuffie heard her friend say something to someone off screen before returning her gaze to stare up at the ninja, a familiar spiky-haired blonde craning his head to look over Tifa's shoulder. "Cloud doesn't think it's a good idea to be there, Yuffie. You know what happened last time we all got together…"

The young ninja waved her hand nonchalantly at the couple staring at her through the screen. "It's okay," she said in a hushed tone, "I don't think I'm in any trouble here. He seems to be acting normal to me."

"Bullshit!" Cid called over his shoulder, tossing several large mugs into the cupboards he had been rifling through. "I ain't dumb ya know! Tell 'em to come get your ass and be done with it! Shit, give me back my airship and I'll fucking TAKE you away from here!"

Throwing his arms into the air as he began to yell and curse, Cid walked out of the kitchen and disappeared into the bathroom with a loud slam of the door.

"See?" Yuffie offered, a frustrated wrinkle forming across her eyebrows. "Besides, I needed a little vacation away from you two love-birds. If I walked it on one more of your make-out sessions I was gonna hurl!" She teased, sticking her tongue out in a mock sickness.

A small frown played its way onto the brunette's features. "Yuffie, are you sure? I mean we can have Nanaki come take you to Cosmo Canyon or Costa del Sol if you need a vacation…"

"Tifa…" Yuffie whispered, turning her head away from the bathroom door's direction to hide her hushed tones, "I need to do this, okay? There's something going on here and I think he needs our help." At her friend's confused look, the Wutainian continued, "Cait Sith is here with me if anything goes wrong. But just…he needs someone, ya know?"

When the two figures in the screen didn't respond, a small sigh escaped Yuffie's lips. "Trust me, okay?"

"Alright, Yuffie, if you think it's fine. But we'll still have someone bring you a travel bag, just in case." Glancing over her shoulder, Tifa whispered something to Cloud that caused a small confused look to cross his eyes. When she nodded her head he simply shrugged and disappeared from view.

Leaning forward a bit so her face took up the rest of the screen, Tifa whispered, "I'll send Vincent with a bag of your things. He's been asking about you anyway."

Grey eyes grew wide in disbelief as a small blush danced across Yuffie's cheeks. "R-Really? He has?"

A small nod caused long locks of brown hair to bounce gingerly across the older woman's cheeks, her lips drawn back in a large smile. "Yeah, I think he was really worried about you. I told ya girl, patience always wins out in the long run," She said, nodding her head in the direction that Cloud's visage had disappeared to.

Yuffie sat speechless, her fingers shaking as she held the small video phone in her lap.

"Anyway, if you're sure that you're fine, I've gotta go. Cloud's having trouble with a couple customers and I don't want him wrecking my bar again." Tifa said, drawing her face back from the screen and lifting her hand up as if to push the video off.

"Oh, wait," Yuffie added, causing her friend to freeze. "What um…what was it that Cid was talking about two years ago? Between Cloud, Barret, and him screaming I could barely make it out." It was a lie of course; she knew what most of the argument was about. But she had to be sure that her imagination wasn't building a direr situation with the grumpy pilot than she remembered.

"Ah well," Tifa said, chewing on her bottom lip for a moment before answering her friend, "He claims that he saw a sixth Weapon. Ya know, up in space? He says it was when he was up in that rocket of his, stealing the Huge Materia from Shinra. But that's silly," a forced chuckle drifted from the screen, "I mean, we destroyed all the Weapons. Why would there be another one up there and we didn't encounter it yet? Reeve thinks he might be a bit…batty. It's why he's confiscated Cid's airship. The way Cid responded when we told him there was nothing up there, it was downright scary."

_Reeve,_ Yuffie thought, _there seems to be so much revolving around that man. Is he hiding something from us? Or is he just being overly cautious? _

"Yuffie?"

"Hm?" The ninja blinked as her train of thought was derailed.

"Um, about Cid?" The brunette asked; worry finally entering her voice at the mention of his name.

"Yeah? What about him?"

"Well I mean, it's been years, but he seems the same as he was."

"Of course he does. He's Cid."

Tifa shook her head slowly, "That's not what I mean. I mean, in the four years since Sephiroth, we've all changed. Barrett's gained a good thirty pounds. Cloud has cut his hair and looks more weathered. Reeve has started to go grey and even you look a bit more…mature. But Cid…" She paused, a long thought dancing across her dark brown eyes. "He doesn't look like he's aged a day. He looks, well, good! And, curse me for saying this, but he looks rather handsome."

Yuffie looked up for a moment, her mind racing as she thought of her friends. Each one of them had changed, either physically or emotionally, in the last couple of years. But she had to admit that Tifa had a point.

"I don't get it Tif', what are you getting at?"

"I don't quite know myself; I just noticed it when you showed him on the monitor. His body looks like it did four years ago. Not like it did during the Remnant incident, but rather when we first met him. It reminds me of something Cloud said once. Because he and Vincent had been exposed to Mako directly, their bodies had been greatly altered. In Cloud, it was mentally and in Vincent, it was physically." A loud crash drew Tifa's attention for a moment before she returned her gaze up to stare at Yuffie.

"You think that Cid has been exposed to Mako…?" Yuffie asked, worry beginning to creep its way into her mind.

"I've gotta go, Yuff! I'll send Vincent with your things! Strike while the iron's hot, girl." Tifa winked before her image blinked out of existence, the small video pad in the ninja's fingers turning a dark grey. For several long moments the dark-haired ninja stared at her own reflection in the screen, her eyes shimmering with thoughts.

_Could it be? Was he directly exposed to a source of Mako? But, even though it has Mako, materia orbs wouldn't be enough to alter his body like that. Did he encounter the lifestream?_ Yuffie wondered, her hand moving to place the telescreen lightly on the counter.

"You look like someone just made you lick a Chocobo's butt," grumbled the irate captain, emerging from the bathroom. He was wringing a small hand towel in his fists as he walked through the doorway. Once done the small cotton rag was flung through the air to land against the pile of dirty dishes that had begun to build up in the sink from lack of consideration.

Yuffie's attention instantly snapped from her train of thought, turning her pale grey eyes up to meet Cid's questioning gaze. "Nah, I was just thinking about how Tifa warned me about staying here, alone, with two men. But then I reminded her that one was a just a pile of junky mechanical parts that wouldn't know a pretty girl from a hole in the floor…"she paused, long enough to hop off the counter and land her bare feet against the linoleum of the kitchen floor, "…and the other was Cait Sith."

Cid's jaw worked angrily as words came out in sputtering insults as he assaulted the young ninja's ears with a rain of profanity. A small giggle escaped Yuffie's throat as she skipped merrily away from the counter and took up the seat the pilot had so eagerly abandoned earlier in his crusade to escape Tifa's words.

"Ya know, I've heard all those before." A small wave of her wrapped hands only seemed to infuriate Cid more. "And I'll have you know that my mother was as pristine as a sphere of white materia," she added, earning herself another series of insults and profane words. Her slender chin drooped down to prop on her upturned palm, her elbow resting against the hard wood of the table as she watched him in bemused silence.

Panting heavily from his little episode, the captain finally began to settle down, exhausting his repertoire of curse words. Quickly, his fingers worked to bring another blazing cigarette to his lips as he glared at the ninja girl, who only smiled innocently in return.

Taking several long drags seemed to calm him down enough to speak regularly, his face returning to a normal ruggedly handsome glare.

"Alright, fine," he started, moving around her and heading towards the fridge. "So what, is someone comin' to get your ass, or what? I'm about sick of this shit anyway." Throwing the icebox door open the blonde-haired captain peered inside, cooling his hot head with the gentle breeze escaping the fridge.

Yuffie's eyes stared across the kitchen at the clock, her index finger gently tapping against her cheek as she shrugged. "Not really. I was actually hoping it'd be okay if I stayed here for awhile. I mean, I could check into the inn if you want. I just really do NOT want to walk in on 'them' again." A small shiver ran across her neck as the cold air from the fridge danced across her pale, delicate skin.

"Fuck that," mumbled the captain from inside the fridge, "If you want to stay here, I don't give a shit. But don't stay at that damn inn, it's a rip-off. You can crash here if you want; I'll let ya use my room since the fucking tinker-toy has all but overrun my guest bedroom."

A small gasp escaped Yuffie's lips as she turned her head away, both of her hands reaching up to cup her cheeks in a mockingly bashful display. "Oh my, Mr. Highwind, I don't believe I'm ready for that. We're not even married yet."

A sharp glare from the man caused Yuffie to explode into a round of laughter, tears trailing down her cheeks as she relished her joke.

"I'll take the fucking couch, I meant. Damn brat and your hormones." The captain grumbled while taking several unmarked bags from the freezer and making his way to the stove. "Just gimme a few minutes later on to clear some personal shit out. I don't need your ass laughing at some of the shit I got in there," he offered over his shoulder.

"Oh?" Inquired the curious ninja, her chin resting again on her palm. "Does the dirty old man have some dirty old magazines?"

Cid banged the bags hard against the counter, halting the round of laughter that was sure to follow the joke. "No, ya dumbass. I meant some dirty clothes," He started as his head drooped down a bit, "and some shit of Shera's."

At the mention of the name, the kitchen fell into an awkward silence. It seemed that even the mention of the deceased woman's name was enough to kill the mirth that Cid and Yuffie had been enjoying at each other's expense. Both quickly grew solemn as the thought hung heavy in the air, both unsure on how to proceed from there.

"Cid?" Yuffie timidly broke the silence first. "How…how come you didn't tell us about Shera?" She bit her bottom lip as she glanced up at her friend, hoping the repeat of her name wouldn't send him into a spiral of anger or depression.

"Wasn't none of your damn business," He replied simply. Yuffie could almost hear the pain in his voice but chose better than to call him on it. "Didn't want you fuckers to feel sorry for …us."

"But she was our friend. And despite what went down, we woulda came to the funeral…" she offered, trying to convey her support to her long time friend.

"Weren't no damn funeral." He muttered, tossing his used cigarette aside. One hand gripped the side of the counter a bit as his shoulders gave a small shrug. "There…wasn't enough left of her to bury." The cold shock of it all finally hitting the young woman's mind, causing her eyes to shimmer with tears.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry…" she offered, getting a small grunt from him in return. "But Reeve knew, right?" At his nod, she continued, "So why didn't he tell us?"

"I told him not to. Like I said, I didn't want your fucking pity. What happened, happened. Besides, it was right after that shit between me and the spiky-haired little bitch. I wasn't about to have you 'ladies' coming back here in some self-righteous act of humble nobility," he responded, his back suddenly straightening as he glanced over his shoulder. For a moment Yuffie swore she saw him smirk at her. "Now how many fucking burgers you want?"

Surprised by his sudden change of subject, the raven-haired teen blinked. She opened her mouth to argue her lack of hunger when a loud growl vibrated against the bandages on her stomach. A bashful blush formed across her cheeks as she wrapped her arms against her rumbling belly. "Um, erm, a couple," she confessed.

Before long the gentle sizzle of meat cooking filled the air and the gentle aroma of food caused the young ninja girl's mouth to salivate. Bounding quickly from her chair, she nearly bowled the cooking pilot over as she leapt for his back. Her slender arms encircled his waist as she nudged one of his arms up, peering into the pan with hungry desperation.

"Hey! What the fu…" began the captain, squirming in her grasp as the little ninja surprised him.

"Oh, hush up. I'm just trying to see the chow!" Defended the ninja, sniffing deeply to inhale the delicious smell of food. "What is that anyway? I didn't know you had cows near Rocket Town."

"Ain't cow," he confessed, giving a patty a quick flip. "It's Chocobo."

"Ewwie!" The ninja teased, wrinkling her nose as she turned her grey eyes back to the inviting sight of the burgers.

Yuffie was vaguely aware of her fingers, still laced around the older man's waist, dancing across the dark blue shirt Cid wore. Small valleys of muscle became evident beneath fabric as her tender fingertips brushed along the well-toned midriff. She felt her cheeks redden as she traced over the hard flesh of muscles restricted behind his shirt.

_Wow, has he always been this well built? My gawd, he's like a statue carved out of marble,_ she thought, her head tilting slightly as his arm above her worked to flip another patty over before burning.

Cobalt blue eyes darted down from watching the cooking burgers, resting on the small arms entrapping his hips. _Fucking brat_, cursed the pilot to himself_, I bet she thinks she's being cute, giving me this fucking pity. She thinks I don't know this shit's just cause of what happened with...her?_

A small, inaudible pant escaped the young ninja's lips as she felt across the strong man's waist, finding herself memorized by the feel. Tifa's words clung to the back of her mind, causing Yuffie to lose herself to the imagination of her actions. _She's right, he does look good. I wonder…does Vincent feel this way too? Under all that cloak and leather, is he this tone and hard? Oh, sweet Leviathan, I hope so…_

Her cheek lightly brushed against the side of the tall man's arm, causing a small shiver to race along her spine. Her back arched, crushing her pert little breasts against the strong lower back of the pilot. The red in her cheeks deepened as she found the ridges of muscle on his back as hard as the flesh on the front, causing her tattered shirt to tickle lightly against her quickly hardening buds.

"Mmm…Vincent…" she cooed, her eyes closing in a half daze as she squirmed her legs together to hide the growing warmth of her body. For an eternal second she lost herself in her fantasy, her arms wrapped around the one she pretended was her would-be-lover.

"You say somethin', brat?" The gruff voice came, knocking Yuffie out of her daydream like a steam engine. Quickly she snapped her arms away and hopped back, her eyes opening fully to look up at the tall, blonde pilot. Her bottom lip tucked into her teeth, she shook her head up at the confused look peering over a shoulder at her.

"N-No! I was just wondering when they'd be done!" She lied, spinning back to resume her seat at the table. A small smile danced onto her face as she stared up at him in an innocent manner. Her thighs, however, pressed tight against each other beneath the shelter of the table. A small dampness clung to her once immaculate bandages as a result of her brief daydream.

Cid grunted and returned to the work at hand. "Soon. I swear, you young kids today ain't got no damn patience."

Before long, the ninja found herself enjoying the long-awaited solid food she had been denied for little more than a week. Her cheeks were puffing wide with food before Cid had even set his own plate down, a somewhat startled stare crossing the deep pool of his eyes. Two large green bottles, Cid's favorite brew, rattled as he set them on his side of the table. A small cup of clear liquid, obviously water, sitting on Yuffie's side.

"Hey!" she whined, droplets of chewed burger falling from her stuffed mouth.

"Hey what?" He snapped, dropping down into his own chair at the table. With a quick pop he had the cap off of one bottle and took a hearty swig. A strong, powerful arm swept up to wipe across his mouth when the bottle was pulled away, a loud belch ringing through the air.

"Hey this!" She piped, quickly leaning forward and grabbing the unopened bottle. Cid's eyes flashed for a brief moment as her leaning forward gave him a good vantage point to peer down the loose grey shirt and into the small valley of her cleavage. The alabaster mounds of Yuffie's chest appeared for a teasingly long second, causing the startled Cid's eyes to widen for an instant. Oblivious to the sight, the nimble ninja quickly returned to her seat and mimicked the pilots own actions, substituting the burp for a dainty little pant of delight.

_The hell was that?_ The normally stoic pilot asked himself. _I've seen her tits before, so why did that make me feel…uneasy?_

"What?" she asked, the light grey of her eyes blinking innocently at his stare. For once, she found the pilot staring at her oddly unnerving.

"Nothing!" He snapped, filling his mouth with a large chunk of burger. "But if ya wanted a beer," he mumbled through the chewing of food, "ya coulda got up and got your own damn beer from the fridge."

"But, I didn't want one from the fridge." Dark wisps of hair danced down to rest against the tender cheeks of the young woman across from him, giving her a brief alluring atmosphere. "I wanted YOUR beer," came the honest, simple words before she sunk her teeth into another bite. The gruff pilot's jaw worked at words he couldn't quite place before he busied himself with his food.

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, both at a loss for words at their oddly uncomfortable exchange.

Once done, Cid rose and snatched both of their plates, depositing the slightly soiled dishes in the sink to meet their dirty brethren waiting there. A hand idly reached up to scratch the back of his neck as the other rose to place an unlit smoke-stick between his lips.

"Cid?" Yuffie asked, her fingers shifting awkwardly against the table as she worked up the nerve to ask her question. When she looked up to meet his cobalt stare with her own grey gaze, she continued, "Do you…still think there's a new Weapon?"

**End Chapter 3**


	4. Panic and Pleasure

Disclaimer: All elements of Final Fantasy VII are copyright 1997 Square Co., Ltd. Anything else recognizable is likewise not owned by the author and/or is completely coincidental. No money is being made from this story.

Rated M for mild content, violence and language (mostly Cid's).

Author's Note: Thank you to the people that continue to review. I really do appreciate it. Finally, we hear all about the Weapon! This chapter might seem a little boring, but it's rather vital, with all the information about the massive plot point. Constructive criticism is welcome, as are rave reviews! Flames will be used to help make s'mores.

**Panic and Pleasure **

**Chapter 4**

"Imagine life as you know it were to end in the blink of an eye…" the gravely voice of Cid began, the unlit cigarette in his lips bobbing ever so slightly as he spoke. "…everyone you knew, everyone you loved, hell, everyone you even hated, was just reduced to their basic organic materials. And there isn't a damn thing you can do to stop it." Cold, unwavering eyes stared down at her as he crossed his arms across his chest, the tight muscles beneath his skin tensing against the shirt he wore.

A look of confusion crossed the young ninja's face, her mind working to process the words as the blonde captain spoke. She had understood that kind of threat before; after all, she had helped to put down the menace that was Sephiroth. But the way her friend said those words now sent shivering chills racing down her spine. For a moment her breath caught in her lungs as she listened to him, mesmerized by the ease in which he was able to speak those harsh words.

"Now, imagine you knew the cause of it all. You knew how it was going to happen and why. Dammit, kid, pretend for a minute, just one fucking minute, that you've spent years researching the end," the captain growled through gritted teeth, a sudden flare of anger playing onto his once calm face.

"..And no one fucking believed you," he finally finished, the young ninja staring in wide-eyed fright up at her long time friend. For a moment she felt her heart skip a beat, almost expecting him to lunge at her and take out the rage and frustration of his words on her body.

"Cid…I don't understand…" Yuffie spoke weakly, the sound barely audible even to her own ears. A cold sweat began to form against the back of her neck as she fidgeted her fingers against the table, trying in vain to distract herself from his stare.

A long moment passed before Cid finally cooled down, a small grunt escaping his throat as he seemed to relax a bit. Without another word he stepped away from the counter and walked down the hall into his bedroom. A small frown formed across the tender lips of the young ninja as she craned her neck to see where her friend had suddenly disappeared to.

Before long the captain came strolling back into the kitchen, a large brown paper tube gripped tight in his fists. His cigarette had been lit in his small travels and now burned brightly, a small trail of smoke following just behind the blonde haired man.

"What's that?" She inquired, moving the bowl of fruit from the middle of the table at the older man's motions. As if to answer her question, he produced a large parchment from within the tube, for once taking his time and being extremely gentle. The paper that emerged appeared old and tattered, probably dating back centuries by the young ninja's guess.

"This," he said, rolling the paper out across the full width of the kitchen table slowly, "is why I was in Midgar last week. An old friend of mine who worked for the excavation near the Bone Village had found this buried somewhere around that fucking Crystal Forest. It took him months to sneak it away from his damn boss."

Looking down, Yuffie examined the images on the paper. A large circle was drawn in the very middle of the paper, the ink of the shape dulling into a pale grey from old age. Several irregular shapes were drawn within the circle, most of which resembled the continents of the planet, Yuffie noted. In the center of the circle there was a smaller circle in which there were five variously colored round marks. Each mark within this small circle had a small letter written over it, obviously fresh ink from the looks of it.

Cid pointed a finger at the ancient map before him, indicating each dot in turn as he read the letters. "D, S, R, E, U. Diamond, "he began slowly, the muscles in his arm tensing as the tip of his finger traced along the old paper before him.

"Sapphire…Ruby…Emerald…" he said, his voice growing lighter and lighter as he called out the names of the Weapons. Large grey eyes snapped up to look at her friend as he spoke, small rivers of cold sweat beginning to race down the sides of her neck.

"…and finally Ultimate." He finished, his finger resting on the final dot on the map. Yuffie felt her body struggle to breathe as her mind raced with wonder. Her tongue trailed out to moisten her dry lips as she forced herself to gulp down the dread that had begun to creep up on her.

"B-But, we defeated them all." She insisted, a nervous smile playing across her lips.

A loud thumping drew her attention back to the map, the captain's finger moving away from the circle in the middle, outward towards the very edge of the map closest to the teenager's chest. His finger stopped less than an inch from the edge of the map, a good distance away from the large circle representing the planet, giving it another hard tapping. Peering down to see, a sharp gasp escaped Yuffie's lips.

There was another round mark.

"This is what I saw," came the voice of her long-time companion. The words were soft, almost gentle, as he pressed his finger down several more times to express his point. It seemed, at least for a time, that he had forgotten his gruff demeanor and seemed like a rational human being. "This is what I saw in space that day. This is…" his finger pulled back, revealing the small black letter that displayed just beside the newly established form, "…Onyx Weapon."

"You…you saw this?" She pressed, her fingers trembling as she reached up to lightly brush against the old paper before her. The harsh, rough bumps of the old map caused small, terrified tremors to race against the young woman's body.

Cid nodded his agreement. "Yeah, that day we were up in the damn ship. At the time I thought it was my eyes playing tricks on me." He confessed, a slight shrugged lifting his shoulders. "I mean it just looked like a big black…hell I dunno…blob! And really, a big black mass in space? Shit, I thought it was just from the excitement of finally being up there. Ya know? I mean, that was my dream, kid. And I was finally up there…" his eyes softened slightly as he looked up to stare out the window, a small satisfied smile spreading across his face.

"Then how do you know…"

"It looked at me, kid. It fucking looked at me." He said, suddenly snapping his attention back to the map before him. "Like I said, I didn't give two shits about it at the time. But once shit started to settle down I began to think about it. I mean one minute we're floating by this big dark shape in space, and the next minute a huge fucking eyeball cracks open and stares right at our damn escape pod. Hell, I thought I was going insane."

Sudden realization hit her as she drew her hands into her lap. Her head bowed down slightly, allowing wisps of her dark hair to fall around her eyes. Several small tears threatened to race down her cheeks as she offered a small nod. _Of course, that's when he told everyone. We thought he was insane too…_

"I was ashamed at first, thinking I had lost my mind with the stress of Sephiroth and shit. When I tried to bring it up…well, shit, kid, you know what happened," he finished, walking around the map to return to his chair. He grabbed the back and spun it around, straddling the chair between his thighs as he sat down, staring across the table at the young woman.

"Well..uum…maybe this map isn't accurate? Or maybe it's a fake? Maybe you did just imagine it? I mean it's been almost four years and we haven't heard anything from this...Onyx." She offered; hope suddenly filling her voice as she turned up to stare at those deep cobalt irises staring at her. She knew she risked his wrath once more at calling out his ability to remember things, but she also knew the planet could not handle another Weapon assault.

"I already thought of that, ya damn brat. Reeve had some of his best head shrinkers examine me. I'm fit as a fucking fiddle. Well, aside from my charming personality that people can't fucking stand," He quickly defended, waving his hand in the air as if to dismiss the thought. "And the map is the real deal. It's actually a Cetra map that my pal had his boys cross-reference with the Ancient City…or some shit. This thing is thousands of years old…not bad for a big ol' chunk of aged shit, eh?" he smirked, obviously hinting at more than the just map with his comments.

"It went along with some books that warned about endangering the planet. Ya know, shit we figured out the hard way when the ol' silver-haired shit blew up the north and summoned Meteor. As for 'why,' well…"he turned his eyes back down to stare at the map, his head shaking in an annoyed frown. "According to some shit that was found, mostly old texts, this thing is the mother of all mother fuckers."

"These other little pissants," he said, indicating the five central dots, "…These here are the janitors of Gaia. When shit gets dirty these bastards come up to clean house, then go back to sleep. But if all hell breaks loose, this thing here is activated," he indicated the dot closest to Yuffie. "From what my buddy's dumb-ass scientists could gather, there were five locks restraining this thing. Keeping the little fucker asleep as it were and out of our hair. Guess where the damn locks were?"

"Inside…the other Weapons…" Yuffie realized, earning herself a confirming nod from Cid.

"Damn right. Once we knocked off these little shits…Momma woke up. And she's a bitch in the morning."

Yuffie leapt to her feet, her fists trembling as she leaned over the table to stare at the small grey dot that lay forebodingly below her eyes. The young ninja felt sick to her stomach, the burgers prepared for her earlier threatening to rise back up and make another appearance. "And what…this Weapon destroys everything? Like the whole planet?! ALL OF US?!" She asked, her voice crackling with hints of exploding into tears.

"Every…damn…one of us." He confirmed, leaning forward and resting his arms against the back of the chair.

For a moment the shimmering grey pools of the young thief danced across the man's features, marveling at the ridges and contours that formed with the flexing of his arms. His rugged face stared down at the map, oblivious to the fact that eyes were upon him, tracing the outline of his jaw with a silent wonder of desire. Only for a brief instant did she allow herself the fantasy of seeing her love in the same light, a handsome stare of determination.

_But then, doesn't Vincent ALWAYS stare like that?_ She wondered, before reprimanding herself. _FOCUS!_

"As far as I've been able to gather, it makes Meteor look like a damn fart in the wind." He grumbled, snapping Yuffie out of her ill-timed fantasy. "You ever hear the term…Scorched Earth?"

"No…what is it?"

"In wartime, you raze everything to the ground where ever you go. Everything. You leave nothing for the enemy to use. Not a single fucking grain of rice or a damn piece of bread. You make the place inhospitable." A discarded cigarette butt flew the air and landed in the sink with a gentle hiss. "That's what this fucker does. It'll make planet fall; kill anything that lives, and then burn the planet to a cinder. It's basically Gaia's reset button. From there it'll just start from scratch all over again, taking thousands upon thousands of years to rebuild. But the planet is patient, ya know?"

A gentle gasp escaped the young woman's lips as her hands clapped up to cover over her mouth. Tears ran down her cheeks as she quickly stepped away from the table and raced for the back door. She pushed her way passed the screen door and out into the barren yard, heavy sobs shaking her shoulders as she ran into the cool breeze of the outside. Her hair danced lightly across her pale cheeks as she turned her head up to stare into the gentle blue of the sky above her, trying to come to terms with the horror that lay behind the soft white clouds that slowly wafted overhead.

Heavy thumping of boots echoed behind her as Cid followed her out. He reached up and placed a strong hand on her bare shoulder for comfort, giving it a gentle squeeze. Several more sobs trembled under his fingers, causing him to withdraw his hand in concern.

His gesture did little to sooth her aching heart at the thought of all their hard work, all of their effort, being for nothing. They had accomplished so much for it all to end. They had beaten Sephiroth when the people said it was impossible. They had stopped Meteor when the odds were against them. They had even defeated Kadaj when the very planet itself seemed to deny their mission.

"Why Cid…why hasn't it landed yet? Why are we still here? This is stupid! If we're going to die, why isn't it over with yet?" She bawled, turning her head up to look at him beside her. "All of our work…everything! If you're right old man, and Godo curse me for saying that you usually are, then why are we still alive? Why have we survived for four years when that thing is still around?"

"Meteor…" came the gruff word, a small growl following close behind from deep within his throat.

When she offered no further response, he decided to explain further. "Near as I can tell, when Meteor came racing towards us it really didn't give two shits what was in the way. That little black fucker, the Weapon I mean, was in the wrong place at the right time. I figure the little bastard got knocked for a loop and thrown out of whatever fucking orbit it had around our planet. Ironic don'tcha think? I mean Meteor doin' some good before getting its shit tossed."

"So…then it WON'T land?" Yuffie allowed a small glimmer of hope to cross her face, turning big grey eyes back up to stare into the beautiful sky.

"Well, I'd like ta think so kid. But the thing is…I saw it again."

Quickly the ninja spun around, horror dancing across her tear-streaked features.

"Course I wasn't up there this time," He added quickly, pointing a finger up to indicate the vast reaches of space beyond their atmosphere. "I was outside one night about a year ago, finishing up some repairs for some farmer n' his tractor, just south of here. I looked up to gaze at the stars, ya know, like a dumb kid I guess," he admitted bashfully, a childlike grin forming across his cheeks. Every time he spoke of space, Yuffie could almost swear he was, for lack of a better word, happy. For a second she wondered if this was how he had felt with Shera, being near her in that house, as well.

"And I saw this, how do I word it, obstruction. Yeah. It was like a damn silhouette across the moon. It wasn't there for long, maybe a minute or two. But a month later I looked up and saw it at the damn exact spot again. It was bigger that time. I think," He offered, reaching a hand up to scratch the back of his neck awkwardly, "that it mighta been closer than before. I ain't no scientist, I couldn't count how many fuckin' shoelaces it'd take to keep my shoes on, but I think it's in a spiral. I mean every month or so I look for it, it's getting to be sooner each time. And bigger too. I had all but forgotten about it, too."

The teenage girl offered a small nod as she turned her head back up to look into the sky, soft white clouds drifting by lazily as if they had not a care in the world. She thought to herself, her arms idly wrapping around her stomach in quiet consideration. The tears had stopped and her cheeks had begun to lose the small red puffiness from her fits. She worked silently to process all she'd learned in such a short time.

Meanwhile the pilot had propped his shoulders back against the doorframe, a freshly lit smoke-stick dangling from his lips. His dark eyes stared at the young woman on his dried-up and dead lawn, a small smirk tugging against the side of his mouth.

_She's a tough kid,_ he contemplated in his mind. _She took all that shit and it only brought on a few tears. Well a lot of damn tears, but given the circumstances who could blame her? Now if only that spiky-haired asshole and that giant fucking marshmallow with a gun for an arm could accept it as well as she had, we might have a damn chance._

Cid's fist clenched slightly as he turned his gaze down to stare at his fingers. His palm turned up to reveal the calloused flesh of his hand, a hand that had helped to save the world countless times and had wielded numerous weapons for the cause of good. He mused to himself, that no matter how much he had worked with his hands, how many tools he had handled, how many parts he had replaced, and how many people he had punched, nothing compared to the warm feeling now tickling against his fingertips.

His hand had just touched her for a moment and he knew at the time it was innocent enough. He had meant to console her in her hour of grief; an act he knew now was futile. She was strong enough to handle the news, it would just take time.

But the warmth of her body lingered on his hand. He didn't understand it. It soothed the normally painful ache in his fingers. He had touched her before, usually in more provocative locations, but this time it felt different. This time, her soft flesh had actually sent a shiver of goose bumps up along his arm.

He wasn't changing a bandage, or slapping a hand away from his beer, he was trying to offer comfort. And he felt a twinge of guilt for savoring the gentle touch her skin had left on his hand. Cid mused to himself as he shook his head, forcing himself to get over the feeling as quick as it had wormed its way into his mind.

"Cid?" her voice came, smooth and unwavering. Whatever bouts of sobbing she had left in her was suppressed for the time being. For a moment it took the gruff captain by surprise as he looked up to gaze at his young friend. "You said I could use your room right?"

"Uh, yeah. I cleared a lot of shit up earlier when I grabbed the map. It's all yours." He answered, jerking his thumb back over his shoulder to point into the house.

She turned and offered him a thankful smile, "Alright, old man. I think I'm gonna lay down for the night, my head is starting to hurt."

"Alright, kid, get some rest. You're not even fully healed yet." He offered, slipping his hand down into a pocket as if to hide his earlier actions from her notice.

She gave him a brief nod before returning to the house, stopping only to reach a shaky hand up to pat him on the forearm. "And, um, thanks a lot, old man. For…for everything." And then she was gone, the gentle thumping of her bare feet on hardwood reverberating lighter and lighter as she returned to the room prepared for her.

Cid's eyes turned one final time to gaze up into the sky, staring intently up at the white puffs of cloud hanging over head. "Son of a bitch. If you try to fucking hurt the kid, all the Holy magic in the world won't save you…" the gruff captain swore, his eyes scanning the vast blue reaches of the sky for the creature he knew to lay just beyond his sight. Resigning himself to the wait of its approach, he turned and returned himself to the house.

"Oi' Ciddy, she took it well, aye?" a little voice chirped as Cid entered the kitchen. Cait Sith had taken it upon himself to once more climb onto the table and had begun to roll the old map back up into its tube.

"Well, how the fuck did you think she'd react? Yell, bitch, and moan like Spike and Barrett?" Cid snapped, grabbing another dark green bottle from the fridge and snapping it open with a flick of his thumb.

"Well, I dinnay think she'd do tha', but she is still a young lass. It's a lot of bad news ta be receivin' at such a tender age. N' after all she done against the other chaos." The small cat defended, struggling a bit to fit the map into the tube by himself. Fully rolled, the map stood as long as he was tall, so maneuvering the map was much the same as if he were trying to wield Sephiroth's sword alone.

"She'll be fine," Cid mumbled as he took several long gulps from the cold brew. "She's a tough kid, ya know?"

"Oh, aye, Cap'n, but remember…she is just a kid." Cait Sith reminded, sticking his tiny tongue out as he attempted in vain to thread the cumbersome map into its home.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Cid snapped, his eyes darting to the closed door of his room. Instantly he regretted his outburst, out of fear of waking the young materia thief that had taken refuge in his room.

"Well, Ciddy, ya said it yaself. She's a kid. N' you, well…don't be gettin' fresh ideas about 'er, ya see?" the small black creature explained, finally slipping the long map into the tube with a triumphant laugh.

The dark green bottle whistled as it flew, end over end, through the kitchen. A loud clank filled the room as the glass met with its target, the side of Cait Sith's head. With a yelp, the small creature fell from the table and onto the floor. The bottle landed on the table and began to roll slowly towards the edge.

Sitting up, Cait Sith turned to yell at his friend, only to be silenced by the hard paper tube housing the map to roll off the table and bonk him on the head with a dull thud. A small curse escaped his lips as he grabbed at the tube and again began to say something, only to be silenced once more by the bottle following behind the tube and landing on the crown atop Cait Sith's head.

Cid roared with laughter.

A small glare came from the tiny robot as he brought himself up to his feet, the bottle balancing gingerly between two arches of his crown. "Tha' was nay funny!" he whined, rubbing his small furry noggin beside the crown.

"Yeah? Neither was that shit you were saying." Cid defended, returning the glare down at his tiny friend.

Both the captain and the small robotic figure stood glaring at each other, each clenching his jaw in a determined grit. Neither made any motions to move, lest they lose this silent battle of wills.

Seconds had passed, and then minutes before either of them made any move. It was the gruff captain who caved first.

"Fuck it!" He said, storming away from the glare of Cait Sith and making his way for the front door. He snatched his jacket from its resting place on the ground and angrily threw his arms through the sleeves before he yanked the door open. "I'll be at the fucking bar." And then the door closed with a loud slam that rattled the dishes in the overrun sink.

"G'down then, ya damn lush!" Cait Sith countered, throwing his tiny paw in the air in a little fist. He knew the captain could no longer hear him, but in his mind he had the last word and he felt proud of that. It was rare that the two of them ended an argument peacefully. But the small black creature knew Cid would be home sometime in the middle of the night, pass out where ever his body could fit, and then they would get to work in the morning. In the mornings they usually pretended nothing happened, each too proud to admit when they had made a mistake.

"Blimey," he muttered to himself, plucking the glass bottle from atop his crown and tossing it into the trash, "If'n I did'nay know any better, I'd almost say we were a married couple." And then he was back in his room, returning to his work.

The inside of Cait Sith's room had been completely transformed from the simple drabness it once was. Before the walls were bare and the hardwood floor was visible. Now large monitors and screens adorned the walls. Wires of various colors dangled lazily from the machines like snakes slithering to the ground, coiling on the floor and disappearing beneath the bed. Several cords ran from beneath the bed to large boxes, each of which possessed numerous blinking lights of some shade or another.

The window had been blocked off with a giant black sheet, blotting out any sun that may threaten to damage the sensitive equipment. The pale lights of the monitors offered more than enough illumination for the little robotic creature to see.

Each monitor contained the image of a large, metallic creature surrounded by a different environment. From a dark red monster in the sands of a massively expansive desert to the dark green form of a beast beneath the ocean waters, the monitors flickered with their silent images. A total of six monitors in all covered the walls of the small guestroom, each one buzzing and flickering with data.

Cait Sith strode expertly through the room, stepping in between the many strands of wire. He stopped below the image of a near black screen, a large ominous silhouette hovering menacingly over his head.

"D'nay worry Cap'n. I believe ya…" he said, the small servos of his body whirling as he stared up at the image of the Onyx Weapon. "…Even if Reevey ordered me ta nay listen ta tha' Weapon business. After all…" Cait Sith said, a small shimmer forming against the squinty slants of his eyes, "…only ya treat me like a real person."

***

Yuffie found the strong arms encircling her to be relaxing, almost soothing, as she buried her head against the strong chest. His fingertips danced along her back, causing shivers to race up and down along her spine against the caress.

She felt her bare breasts crush tight against the broad, ridged chest of the man holding her; she relished the feel of his hot skin pressing against hers. Her naked legs were hooked around his own, the sheet clinging desperately against her sweat-soaked skin.

Her own fingers snaked around to his back and gripped tight against his unclothed shoulder blades, squeezing him tight to her small frame. Her lips danced tenderly against the warm flesh of the man holding her, causing a satisfied growl to vibrate deep within his chest. Her soft pink tongue darted out to flick lightly against one of his nipples, showing it the same love and kindness that she had felt from him.

Strong fingers gripped her pert backside, squeezing her tight against the powerful body as a gentle moan escaped her throat. She could feel the warmth building between her thighs, the moisture doing little to hinder her desire. Her pale grey eyes fluttered open, her cheeks flushed with her passion as she gazed up at the long dark locks of hair hugging the man's face.

"Oh, Vincent…" she cooed, dipping her head down once more to flick her tongue lightly against the previously ignored nipple.

"Yuffie…" the gravely voice responded, a small gasp quickly following from the caress of her attentive tongue on his flesh.

The sound of his voice only added to her lust, her legs squeezing tight around the man's well-toned hips and drawing him against her waiting flesh. She could feel his increasing desire brush against her thighs, twitching against her delicate skin as if having a mind of its own.

"Oh, Vinnie, honey, take me…" she whimpered, burying her face against his pale skin. She waited for the moment she had longed for, the feel of his flesh against her own hot body. She trembled with anticipation at the chance to finally feel her love within her body.

"Son of a bitch!" a voice called.

She suddenly jerked her head up to look at the cool features of Vincent, a confused look dancing onto her furrowed brow. His mouth was drawn back in an evil snarl, his fingernails pressing hard against her tender skin.

"Fuck you too!" The voice came again.

With a faint whimper, the young Wutai-native forced herself awake.

Her eyes drifted open slowly, her head still ringing from the booming voice calling from behind the closed door. A soft sigh escaped her throat as she fought desperately to hold onto the image of Vincent in her mind, his strong naked body within her grasp.

"Don't fucking touch that, you asshole!" Again the voice was there; the voice of her captain friend.

The words quickly chased away the thought of her romantic fling with the emotionally dark man, causing a huff of frustration to escape the young ninja's tender lips. Within seconds, Cid had destroyed a fantasy many years in the making, causing the young ninja woman to instantly regret her decision to stay with him.

Sitting up, Yuffie gave her arms a slow stretch. Finding the stiffness of the previous day reduced, she opted to take her arms through a full range of stretches before tossing the heavy comforter off of her lap.

A faint groan of frustration shook her jaw as her fingers reached down, brushing briefly against the warm moisture left by her intimate fantasy between her legs. "Oh, gawd, old man, you couldn't have waited five more minutes?" She whimpered, her legs squirming against the bed.

Determined to make him pay for destroying her fantasy, the young thief leapt from the bed and made her way to the bedroom door. She flung it open with a huff and stomped out, making sure to announce her presence to the irate captain as she approached. With her mouth open, ready to hurl a barrage of angry insults his way, she froze.

The color drained from her cheeks as the pale grey of her eyes settled on a tall, dark caped figure standing in the kitchen. Black hair hung loosely around the man's features while the blood red of his cape drifted idly against the broad back facing her. A shimmering gold gauntlet hung limply at his side, the other hand gripping a small brown duffle bag.

Upon hearing her approach, the figure turned, casting his cold stare on her. Blood-red eyes gazed down at her, an emotionless straight-lipped expression upon his face.

"Kisaragi…" the deep, soothing voice of the man called, causing the color to immediately race back to her cheeks with fervor.

Her dream had come true.

**End Chapter 4**


	5. An Accidental Date

Disclaimer: All elements of Final Fantasy VII are copyright 1997 Square Co., Ltd. Anything else recognizable is likewise not owned by the author and/or is completely coincidental. No money is being made from this story.

Rated M for mild content, violence and language (mostly Cid's).

Author's Note: Thank you to the people that continue to review. I really do appreciate it. Here's more Cid/Yuffie cuteness in this chapter. And, yes, there is a line that was borrowed from Chronicles of Riddick, but the line is just too cool, and sounds like something Cid would say, so it had to be used. Not much more to say about this chapter, as the title pretty much says it all. Constructive criticism is welcome, as are rave reviews! Flames will be used to help make s'mores.

**An Accidental Date**

**CHAPTER 5**

Yuffie squealed with delight as she launched herself through the air at the tall, ridged body of Vincent Valentine. Her arms reached forward as she quickly raced across the hard floor of the kitchen, the soft thuds of her feet the only sound in the room as Vincent stood staring at the small ninja woman.

Her arms hungrily encircled his neck, her face burying against the rough surface of leather armor concealing the man's body. For a moment the cloak he wore flared up at the gentle breeze caused by the ninja's flight before settling down to lightly tickle and dance around Yuffie's small frame. Contented sighs escaped her throat as she nuzzled eagerly against the tall man's chest.

"Oh, Vinnie, I knew you'd come! Tifa promised and here you are!" she panted, her pain suddenly forgotten as she hung desperately from the dark figure's stunned neck.

"Your clothes…" the ex-Turk said, his voice void of any emotion. Yet beneath the dark strands of hair hanging across his face, a faint blush had begun to form against his otherwise ridged features.

"Oh, yes, yes, you brought me my clothes right?" She said, turning her head up to gaze into the dark red pools of Vincent's irises. Her own eyes sparkled with delight as seeing the man she had longed for in her dreams.

"No. I mean," he began, reaching his clawed hand up. Cold, metal fingers wrapped around one of her bare arms encircling his neck and gave a sharp squeeze. A faint whimper escaped the Wutai girl's throat as she drew her arm away with his pull, a small pout forming against her bottom lip. "…your clothes." He then pointed the same clawed hand down, showing off the nearly bare flesh of the ninja woman's body.

Yuffie blinked in confusion as she looked down at herself. Before falling asleep she had removed the clothes Cid had provided for her, choosing to instead trust in the bandages he had so generously wrapped her in. Of course in her sleep she had begun to toss and turn, in no small part to the passionate fantasies of the man standing before her. Many of the bandages hung limply now around her body, doing very little to hide the delicate womanly presence of her flesh.

Quickly, Vincent thrust the duffle bag he had been holding into her stomach, turning his eyes away to face the window of the small kitchen. Yuffie gave a quick nod of her thanks before she turned and bolted for the bathroom, her cheeks flaring bright red.

The young ninja was never aware of the other two sets of eyes watching the entire exchange.

Cid stood with his head cocked to stare at the dark figure left standing in his kitchen. He stood unblinking, a large round pastry hanging from his baffled mouth. His arms were extended and holding the small furry robotic body of Cait Sith on the table.

Cait Sith himself was frozen, mouth agape as he stared much in the same fashion as his taller friend. His tiny arms were reaching up towards the blonde captain, frozen in mid-struggle as if reaching desperately for Cid.

Moments before, Vincent had produced a small box of homemade donuts that had been sent from Tifa as a type of peace offering to the gruff captain. Cid and Cait Sith tore into the small delicious pastries with such a gluttonous rage that Vincent found himself oddly reminded of a shoal of piranha and chose to remain out of the exchange.

"Son of a bitch!" Cid had exclaimed happily, joining his friend in the ravishing of the poor box of decedents. It'd been years since he'd been able to sample some of Lockhart's homemade pastries, and despite his overwhelming urge to light both her and her husband, Cloud, on fire, he had to admit that she was one helluva cook.

"Fuck you too!" he yelled, pointing his finger at Vincent's judging stare. Cid hated it when people criticized his eating habits, a pet-peeve he had picked up long ago during their original journeys.

He quickly noticed Cait Sith had snatched several more donuts than he, and the tiny creature was reaching for more, "Don't fucking touch that, you asshole!"

The captain and his furry friend consumed the entire box in a matter of seconds, each swallowing the donuts almost whole before only one remained in the box. And that's when the true struggle had begun. Each was vying for the last surviving pastry of the box, the tiny creature fighting valiantly against the obviously more dominant Highwind.

It had become apparent that Cid was the victor, popping the donut in his mouth in a triumphant gesture as he teasingly held the struggling Cait Sith out at arm's length. The blue-eyed pilot was just moments away from devouring the final pastry when his bedroom door had flung open, bringing the small ninja out.

Cid's jaw slowly began to work as the small mental shut down worked its way out of his brain. Before long he had consumed the last remains of his delicious confectionary victory and he let the small body in his hands drop, stunned, to the table.

"The fuck was that?" he said, wiping his arm across his mouth to clear the crumbs that may be clinging to his lips. He wasn't so much annoyed by the presence of Vincent in his home, but more of the chaotic energy he seemed to bring with him. Vincent had drawn him awake a few minutes before, the gruff pilot still in the process of milking his previous night's alcohol-induced headache.

"I am unsure," Vincent responded, turning again to face the cobalt eyes staring at him. Vincent always found it unnerving anytime he spent time with the chronologically younger pilot before him. He knew he commanded a presence of mystery and darkness, his blood-red eyes always earning him cautious glances as he walked the streets. The black waves of his hair hid his emotions almost as well as it hid his face, allowing Vincent to shrink away whenever he felt self-conscious about himself. But the man before him, with his bright blonde hair and vivid blue eyes, seemed like the polar opposite of his own dark image.

Whenever Vincent felt it important to remain silent, the pilot would open his mouth and explode with a tirade of curses and insults. Anytime the ex-Turk felt the need to remain indifferent and out of the fray of conflict, Cid would charge forward and place himself smack in the middle of whatever mess they had gotten into. And he knew, deep down, where Vincent could do nothing but lock away his emotions, this sky-captain had stepped up and wore his emotions right on his sleeve.

Vincent found himself despising Captain Highwind more than any other person he had ever met.

"Ya fuckin' okay, Vince?" The voice grumbled from Cid, snapping the brooding man out of his thoughts.

"Yes, I am fine." Vincent responded, his arms slipping down to disappear behind the dark safety of the cape he wore.

"Shit man, you wanna sit or somethin'? You, what, flew here? Or did ya glide? Hell, I don't fucking know what you do with that damn thing." the captain said, waving his hand to indicate the shifting fabric of the cloth wrapped around Vincent's body.

"I am fine," Vincent repeated, his eyes glancing down to watch the small black cat drop down from the table and busy himself with the pastry delivery box. The silent man found it oddly amusing as Cait Sith licked hungrily at the remaining frosting clinging desperately to the lid.

"Suit yourself man, you want a beer?" Cid asked. When his guest responded with a shake of his head, the blonde man simply shrugged and produced a small green bottle to indulge in by himself.

Vincent thought of how strange it was, being in this home. He glanced all about, taking note of the small details of the living space. He found it hard to believe that with the innocent, humble knickknacks and books lying about; this was the home of an insane man. Ever since that event with the Remnants, he had feared the mental strain to be too much for the older gentleman. He knew that the pressure of all they had been through was too much for some, but he had assumed it would be Tifa or Barrett to crack first.

But Reeve had assured them all that Cid was indeed clinically insane. It took many months of convincing, but given the lack of evidence to support his theory, Vincent knew his friend to be outright ill. None of them had witnessed the strange events that Cid swore had occurred, and even worse Reeve had used Shinra resources to look into the claims.

Standing here, his hand resting idly on the butt of the Death Penalty, Vincent found it odd to be standing in the perfectly normal home of a madman. He always imagined it to be much more, for lack of a better term, chaotic. And housing the demon Chaos in his body gave him ample insight into that.

Before long, Yuffie returned, sporting her standard tan-brown shorts and dark green tank top. The thin strap of fabric hugging just above her hips hinted at her newfound underwear while the bandages she once wore were now more conservatively adorning her thighs and shoulders.

Smiling brightly, she again returned to the target of her fantasies, her hair pulled back by a bright white headband to keep the dark strands from concealing her eyes.

"Thanks, Vinnie!" she announced, her fingers reaching up to wrap tenderly around the arm hidden behind his dark cloak.

"I was merely doing as I was asked," he defended, his arm trying in vain to avoid the searching hands of the young ninja before him. A small frown danced onto his face behind the large buckles of his collar. He found it mildly annoying that he was unable to escape her seeking grasp.

"So, how's shit, Vince?" Cid asked, dropping down into his big fluffy sofa. Several quick chugs of his beer had his hangover easily forgotten.

The dark red pools of his eyes stared at the little ninja woman attached annoyingly to his arm, the metallic fingers of his free claw clenching subconsciously. "I do not understand," he mumbled, his arm giving another small tug to escape the grasp of the well-planted Yuffie.

"He means," Cait Sith offered, hopping over to sit on the floor beside the couch his friend had sat upon, "how be eve'yone in Midgar?" A small rattle and knocking against the hardwood floor quickly followed the words as the small black cat drew out a pair of dice and began to roll them.

"They are…alive," Vincent offered, unaware of how he was supposed to answer the question.

"Well, of course they're alive, silly!" Yuffie piped, nuzzling her cheek against the squirming fabric of the cape concealing her love's body.

"This is pointless. I was merely sent to deposit her belongings, not to bring everyone back up to date." The ex-Turk declared, yanking his arm away with a sudden jerk, much to the materia-thief's disappointment. The hard metal of his boots thudded heavily on the floor as he made his way towards the door and swung it open. He stopped for a moment, turning his head back to look at the three staring in mild disbelief. "Do not bother me with your trivial ramblings any longer."

The door slammed shut behind him, leaving the young ninja to stare in shock at the solid wooden obstruction.

"Fucking prick!" Cid growled, tipping his head back to down the rest of his beer. He gave a small grunt as he stood up from the couch, tossing the now emptied bottle into the kitchen to land inside the trashcan with a loud crash. He turned to the young woman, forcing a small smirk at her confused expression.

"Don't worry kid, he's just pissy that he had to travel this far and I didn't give him a damn beer," he offered, reaching a hand up to rake his fingers back through his hair. He found himself doing this gesture more and more often. But since the events that had transpired two years ago, he found the race of fingers through his hair strangely comforting.

"Um, yeah, I guess." She said her bottom lip quivering as she fought back the urge to burst into tears. She looked up at the older man staring at her and for a moment she thought she saw a flash of concern cross his furrowed brow. "It's all your fault, old man!" She announced, hiding the sudden pain in her chest from the rejection. She instead forced a broad smile up at the gruff pilot, her feet rocking her back and forth lightly on the linoleum floor.

"Pssh, don't blame that shit on me. Ain't my fault. He can get his own damn beer," Cid countered, his concern suddenly replaced by dark annoyance.

"Yeah?! Well I'm blaming you anyway! And I'm gonna stay here until you pay me back or he comes and sweeps me off my feet!" she said, stomping one foot cutely against the floor as she puffed her cheeks out in mock irritation. "Whichever comes first!"

Cait Sith chuckled to himself, the small black blocks he had been using to entertain himself rattling as he tossed them again onto the floor.

"Good! Make yourself useful then and make me some damn breakfast!" the captain ordered, his fists dropping to rest against his hips as he glared at the raven-haired thief.

"I'm not your damn maid! You should make ME food! Or better yet, take me out! I'm in the mood for some GOOD food after that slop you fed me for the last week!" she huffed, her fists resting on her own hips in mock defiance of the man before her. She knew that despite his own problems, he was doing this just to cheer her up. And deep down, she felt a small twinge of guilt for relying so heavily on his strength. If she had been alone at this moment she knew she'd be doing nothing more than sobbing into her hands.

Cid was a grouch, but she knew he would die before he let any of his friends be hurt. He had done so much for her already, she couldn't help but feel a small sense of joy knowing he would never let her suffer from someone else's inconsideration. And she knew that she was evil. She was using him, despite her want to. But right now she needed some kind of crutch after her rejection and he was the best she had.

"Fine," he said simply, turning to grab his jacket off the couch. "Get your shit together and let's go."

The words shocked her as she stood dumbfounded at him. Her jaw hung open in surprised disbelief. She was vaguely aware of the small cat creature climbing up to his feet and strolling around her, calling over his shoulder that he was going to take care of some of his own business.

"What…?" she asked numbly, her pale grey eyes scanning the older man's face for signs of a grin or smirk. Finding neither only added to her growing confusion. She hadn't meant it as a serious statement; she thought for sure he would shoot back with another insult or curse.

Cid gave a brief nod to his small black robotic friend, calling out to pick up a small list of parts to which Cait Sith returned with a high pitched 'Aye' before he returned his gaze back to the baffled younger woman. "What, did I fucking stutter? I said, get your shit. I've gotta go into town anyway, we might as well get some damn lunch." He said, patting his gut as he drew his jacket on. It was obvious this was a show, he had just eaten the box of donuts minutes before. But he knew that she needed something to take her mind off of that tall, heartless bastard.

Yuffie fought desperately to hide her gasp, her hands reaching up to clasp tender fingers over her chest as the blonde pilot turned away and headed out the door. For a brief second, with the light of the door highlighting the edge of his features, her heart skipped a beat. She felt her chest tighten for a moment, his words still echoing in the back of her mind.

Quickly, she hurried after him, grabbing her boots on the way out of the house. She hopped frantically as she slid the high boots on, tying the laces up one then the other before she hurried after the captain who hadn't stopped to wait for her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the faint glint of steel leaning against the house. A long shaft lay propped lazily against the freshly painted side of Cid's dwelling, the tip sparkling with recently sharpened cleanliness.

_But didn't Cait Sith say he never left home without his spear_? A sudden chill raced down her back as she recalled the story of two years ago, the pain of his loss creeping into her own heart.

Finally catching up to him, she gave his arm a gentle slap in mock anger. "You old jerk, you coulda waited for me!" She chastised, reaching a shaky finger up to brush the short strands of her hair back behind her ear. For a moment, she felt herself suddenly self-conscious about her appearance, yet she couldn't exactly grasp why.

"Fuck that. You're young, you can catch up," he offered, a freshly lit cigarette hanging from his tightened lips. He raised a well-muscled arm up to wave a hand as they walked by a small fenced-in house. The old man tending to his garden beside the fence raised his hoe in response, stopping to stare at the familiar image of the captain and his young friend.

The peaceful settlement of Rocket Town wasn't too far from Cid's home, so the brisk walk was more refreshing then exhausting as Yuffie had expected. She had been here years before, when they first had encountered the grizzly captain, but she hadn't taken the time to truly appreciate its culture. Now, she was almost shocked to find it a more bustling burg than she had remembered. There were many more shops and buildings than she remembered, many displaying their wares in small glass windows. Several street vendors had tables set up, offering small trinkets or cheap materia orbs at a lower cost. There were even a few fruit peddlers about, boasting about their superior product over competitors.

Children raced through the streets in a game of tag, each one giggling with delight in the mid-morning light. Everywhere, Yuffie looked about eagerly, as many men hauled around large sacks or barrels, giving them a small nod as they passed by. Even the few women present, who were busy keeping track of the children at play, offered them a gentle smile.

"Mornin' Captain."

"G'day Captain!"

"Hello Captain, beautiful day, isn't it?"

"How do you do, Captain? Lovely friend you have there."

"Hiya Mister Cid Captain! Will you play with us today?"

Yuffie was amazed at how pleasant the townspeople were to her friend. Of course, this was where he had lived for most of his life, but when they had first arrived those years ago the people had spoke of Cid as nothing more than a hermit who lived just for his rocket. But now they greeted him, smiling and waving, some even running up to shake his hand. The children raced up to him and tugged on his arms, causing the normally grouchy pilot to smile down at them.

"Mister Captain Highwind, sir?" A child said, her big green eyes staring wide up at him. "Will you come do some more magic for us today? Pretty please?"

Cid stopped for a moment, plucking the smoking stick out of his mouth and flicking it several yards away so as not to offend the child's senses. He knelt down and gave the child a small pat on her auburn hair, a gruff but gentle voice escaping his lips. "Sorry, Kiddo, I got some business to take care of. How about I come by later and summon up another Choco/mog for ya? Okay?"

Her head nodded vigorously as her tiny smile stretched from ear to ear. Happy with his response she spun away and burst off to resume the game of tag she had missed. The other kids cheered with delight as she relayed the news of his promise.

"Well, well," Yuffie said, crossing her arms across her chest as she coyly smirked at him. His cobalt eyes glared back at her as he rose back to his feet, returning to his march through town. "So the old man does have soft spot in him," she teased, skipping to keep up with him.

"Fuck that. I just got this thing with seeing little kids sad." He muttered, tilting his head a bit to look down at her bouncing form. "I guess it's why I fucking took pity on you." His smirk returned as she glared up at him in return, her pale grey eyes flickering briefly against the morning light. For a moment, Cid saw something in those light grey pools that caused his legs to stop, forcing him to stumble before catching himself.

"AH! Learn to walk ya ol' fart!" Yuffie said, bounding ahead as he had to slow his pace to regain his footing.

Cid opened his mouth to counter with something but stopped, thinking better of himself. _She don't need that shit, not right now anyway._

"In here," he directed, as they approached a small café that hadn't been there when Yuffie had first visited the town. The sign above the door read 'The Green Dragon' in bright green letters against a white board. In tiny red text below there read a disclaimer 'warning: meat may contain 80% or more of human flesh, eat at your own risk.'

Yuffie felt rather apprehensive as she entered the small establishment, but the strolling captain didn't hesitate so she followed him in. Inside, she was shocked to find the interior of the place to be decorated with many different trophies. Everywhere she looked hung old, well-used weapons or parts of vehicles that were long out of service. It didn't take the young Wutai girl long to realize why her friend had brought her here. This atmosphere was eerily settling for someone of his mental caliber, the café looked as if a junkyard had thrown up and then been hit by a tornado.

"Table for one, Captain Highwind?" inquired a slender, ravishingly beautiful, red-headed woman standing behind a podium beside the entrance of the door. The tight fitting dress she wore did little to hide the large, voluptuous curves of her well-endowed body. The fabric was cut low in the chest to give the ample valley of her cleavage plenty of room to show; while the hem was cut high enough to show off perfectly smooth thighs. Yuffie felt a sudden flash of jealousy, knowing she could never fill out the skintight outfit that the woman wore.

"Naw, two," Cid said, holding up two fingers to show the hostess.

A small frown danced onto the full red lips of the woman, her dark brown eyes darting over to trail up and down the young Wutai ninja's slender body. Yuffie could feel the woman's icy glare upon her, an embarrassing warmth playing onto her own cheeks.

Yuffie began to turn, as if to escape the woman's stare and retreat to the streets, when a strong arm reached up to wrap around her shoulders. Wide-eyed she looked up at her friend, who stood staring defiantly at the beautiful woman greeting them. "Me n' my friend would like a table, if that's okay?" he said, his tone suggesting that he wasn't so much asking as telling.

"Of course, Captain, right this way." She said, her gaze suddenly turning warm and compassionate, the words pouring like honey as she escorted the two to an empty table.

Once seated and alone, she buried herself behind the large menu placed before her. She could hear Cid grinding his teeth and she suddenly felt like she was the reason he was angered. For the first time in awhile, she felt a tiny pain in her chest at the thought of displeasing him.

_What are you thinking, girl? He's just the old man! Stop being so depressing!_ She criticized herself, her eyes darting quickly over the menu to take her mind off of it.

"Sorry about that, kid," she heard his voice say from behind his own menu, causing her to freeze up. Her head craned slowly to the side to look across the table at him. "Kira isn't usually rude like that. Guess she's just on the fucking rag today," he said from behind the folded paper in front of him, a small plume of smoke rising up from the source of his words.

"It's okay…I guess I'm just too cute for her," she offered, a self-satisfied smirk spreading across her lips as she glanced over to find the woman glaring in her direction.

They ordered and then ate in silence, both choosing to busy themselves eating rather than risk saying something that may be taken out of context. For Yuffie, it seemed almost like cheating to be out so suddenly after having been rejected by Vincent. She knew it would take time to win his heart, but sometimes the things he said hurt her to the point of almost giving up.

Not that her options were very open right now anyway. As it stood she had the pick of the litter between a red lion, a little black cat robot, an old man, or Vincent. And her heart had led her to the dark and dreamy Valentine.

"The town looks nice," she finally broke the silence, choosing to instead focus on a lighter topic. "And it seems that a lot of people like you around here."

"Fuck, yeah," he agreed, crushing the quickly dying cigarette into the ashtray in front of him. "It's 'cause people heard about that shit with Sephiroth. Most of the people here started suckin' up after that. And then people started moving here like I was some kinda freak show or something." He leaned back against the soft cushion of the booth they sat at. His legs propped up on the table while his arms reached back to lie against the back of his head. It seemed for a moment that he was relaxed as he spoke of his town, almost acting like he owned it.

"I mean, shit, I ain't no zoo animal to be gawked at, ya know?" His head tilted back to stare at the fan that spun slowly overhead. A small smile crossed his lips as he watched the trail of smoke break against the whirling blades of the fan, dissipating into the air.

"Aw, I dunno. 'Come see the amazing Grumpy Pilot! He spits and cusses like a sailor, but he's really as tender as a kitten! In fact, speaking of kitten, here's his roommate!'" she teased, waving her arm in mocking jest as if she were the ringmaster of a circus. "And then you and Cait Sith could do a balancing act on a big rubber ball. It'd be cute!" She giggled, her fingers folding under her chin as she stared across the table at Cid.

"Fuck," he mumbled, turning his head down just enough to glance at her, "I hate you."

"But I'm adorable!" she defended, her eyes blinking in innocence before the both of them burst into a soft laugh. The two broke into idly conversation that they found to be relieving and settling after their meal.

By the time they left the restaurant it was mid afternoon. Many of the children that were out playing had been called home to prepare for dinner. A lot of the street vendors had packed up for the day and closed shop. Even the workers that were busy hauling and delivering their loads were vacant from the street by the time the captain and his young lady friend emerged from the café.

"So, what now?" she asked, hopping up to balance along the small stone wall that surrounded the small row of potted plants in front of the building. Her arms rose out straight as she stepped foot over foot, heel to toe, along the thin brick wall. She found it relieving to be able to still work her legs and arms like that. She knew the day before it would have been a miracle to even be alive, let alone enjoying the fresh air of this beautiful town.

"I got some shit to pick up at the shop," Cid said, "but it's a bit of a walk so if you don't wanna go, I'll be back in a bit." He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants and started off, the light of the sun glinting briefly against the two lenses of his goggles resting across his forehead.

"Naw, I don't mind walking with you," Yuffie offered, doing a quick cartwheel along the brick wall, before flipping off to land beside her friend on the street. She felt a small flash of pride fill her heart as the motion only brought a small throb of pain against her shoulders. It seemed there had been no permanent damage done to her a week ago.

The duo walked along the road, entertaining each other with recounts of the last couple of years. Yuffie would brag about the many materia theft conquests, while Cid would boast about his new and exciting hobby of doing jack shit while researching the Weapon's history.

Occasionally they would pass a shop that drew the young thief's attention, causing her to bound happily over and peer into the glass window. The first of which was a pet store that had a fresh stock of newborn puppies yipping and barking happily at the passersby. Yuffie giggled joyfully as she bent over to peer at the little animals, her fingertip tapping against the glass attentively. The gruff pilot found himself stopping with her, taking the chance to strike up a new cigarette at the short-lived stop.

The next stop to draw her attention was a materia and weapons shop several doors down from the pet store. She gazed hungrily in the window at the newest stock of fresh red and green materia, the colored orbs glinting teasingly in the afternoon sunlight. Even the latest model of gun and sword displays beside the materia caused an imaginary puddle of drool to form beneath the young ninja's agape jaw.

Having finished her optical feast of raw materia, she returned to her place walking beside Cid. It didn't take long before her attention was diverted again however. Slowly they approached a clothing and armor store that had a fresh display of the latest protective armguards presented in the glass window. The two stood before the building, idly boasting how some of the stuff they found in the North Crater was more expensive than the equipment on display in the store. Yuffie lingered for a second longer as she caught sight of something in the reflective glass of the window. Cid, oblivious to the fact, turned to leave again, his words still voicing his disapproval in some of the quality of goods.

Yuffie stared in frightened disbelief as she caught sight of her own reflection in the glass, her slender arms coiled around the elbow of her tall friend. She turned her gaze away from the shop and looked down, finding her arms wrapped tenderly around Cid's arm as they walked. Her friend was oblivious to the embrace and was going on and on about the time he had to fight a Mako Dragon by himself within the northern crater.

_When…did that happen?_ She thought, glancing up to see if Cid had noticed as well. He hadn't. _I didn't even notice I was doing it. And, Leviathan help me, why does it feel so...nice?_

Yuffie allowed a small sigh to escape her lips as she ignored the red warning lights flashing in her mind. She leaned against the strong arm, surrendering to the protective feeling of her long time friend, and rested her head gingerly against his powerful forearm. She could feel the few eyes of the people remaining in the streets upon them and could hear a few mumbling about the older man being some kind of deviant, but she knew none would speak up and call him that to his face.

Cid, meanwhile, was rambling about the effects of pure Mako being used as a fuel supply now, having segued from one subject to another in his unaware talking. Yuffie just idly mumbled a soft "uh huh" to him as they walked, a satisfied smile hanging on her tender lip at the relaxing feeling of his body brushing against her own.

_Stupid old man, having a cute little woman on his arm and he's still just going on,_ she thought. But she made no motion to silence him. No matter what he was saying his voice was soothing against her ears. For a time she felt that even his yelling and cursing would be enough to ease her aching heart right now_. Maybe I made a mistake. Maybe I should fall for…_

"We're here, ya damn brat," he said, snapping Yuffie awake from her brief daydream. Quickly, she hopped away from his arm, patting her tan shorts down awkwardly to conceal her embarrassment. Her eyes darted up to see if he had even noticed the brief exchanged and a small relieved sigh escaped her throat as he continued to appear unwavering in his mission.

A small wrinkle danced across Yuffie's nose as she peered into the dark, smoke filled doorway of the shop Cid had led her to. It was an exact contrast of the café he had taken her to before. This place stunk of oil, smoke, and the sour smell of sweat. She could hear men inside laughing and talking loudly inside, the sound oddly devoid of a female tone.

"In there? Really?" she said, adjusting her tank top a bit to delay the eventual approach of the dark room.

"I told ya, kid, I need a damn part to fix that fucking Moogle ride of Cait Sith's. If you wanna wait out here, I'll just be a minute." He said, stepping through the doorway and disappearing into the darkness of the building.

A small huff escaped her cheeks as she hooked her thumbs into the pockets of her shorts, storming in behind the annoyingly grumpy pilot. Yuffie was almost knocked back by the chaos within the shop. Everywhere she looked men were standing around, some covered in grease and gunk while others looked freshly showered and well groomed. There were several large tables in the middle of the room, each covered in a thin layer of green felt and possessing six deep-holed pockets.

"Cid!" Yuffie whined at the captain, racing to catch up to him before he disappeared into the massive crowd. "This is a poolhall! Not a part shop!"

The blonde man looked down at her, assessing her with a cool stare. "I know; I use shop very loosely. The owner is a buddy of mine that has more connections when it comes to getting parts than the local merchant does. But most of the guys in here are grease monkeys like me." He waved a hand over his shoulder as if to dismiss her apprehension. "Now you wait here, I gotta speak with my pal alone. He don't like strangers."

A small frown danced onto the young ninja's face as the tall, blonde haired man she had just began to grow close to disappeared beyond another door. Yuffie suddenly felt very alone and vulnerable in the room. She could feel hungry eyes upon her as several of the men in the room turned their gaze toward her, several of the tables halting there games to appraise her.

"What the hell?" she muttered to herself, her fingers flexing tight into fists. "I'm a well-trained master of martial arts! Why the hell am I always so timid?" She fumed, turning away from where Cid had left her and making her way toward one of the empty pool tables. She snatched one of the waiting sticks from its home resting against the wall and busied herself with a solo game of billiards.

Many of the men had returned to their own conversations, the sudden invasion of a woman in their private domain all but forgotten. Several men, however, found the appeal of a fresh piece of female flesh to be too inviting to pass up, and broke away from their earlier billiard competition.

Yuffie had just dropped several of the solid, materia-like orbs into the pockets, expertly twirling the pool cue between her fingers when she felt the shadows of several large, smelly men approach her table. For an instant, she felt a flash of remembrance, having been in a similar position just a week before. But her heartbeat began to return to normal as she glanced up, noticing the men were just normal humans who stunk oddly of beer and sweat.

"Well, well, what 'ave we got here?" slurred one of the men, dark mats of dirty hair hanging around his face.

"A pretty little girl, all by herself?" offered one of the other two men, his bald head glinting briefly in the dim light of the overhead lamps.

The third man just offered a small grunt.

"Oh, please, boys," Yuffie replied, holding the stick behind her back as she arched her bottom against the rail of the table. Her fingers gave a small flick as the white cue ball went crashing into another, sending the colored ball sailing into a pocket. "Don't you think I'm a bit out of your league?" Her pale grey eyes looked up, a determined scowl forming on her face.

"Bitch has a tongue," the first man said.

"Yeah, I wanna see her use it!" the second said.

The third grunted again.

_How do I get myself into these messes?_ Yuffie idly thought to herself. Her body twisted suddenly as she brought the hard cue flying into the face of the first man to speak to her. The wood of the tool snapped across his hard skull, splinters flying through the air to cover his two friends with small droplets of wood and blood.

A small satisfied smirk crossed her lips as the man doubled over, his big meaty hands covering his face as he howled in pain. For once, she relished the ability to cause pain to another person, her heart rate pumping as she turned to look at the other two men. "Too bad for you boys. You three remind me of another set of thugs I met some time ago, and I'm just itchin' to vent that frustration."

***

Cid had just completed his deal with the owner, his requested parts held within the small burlap sack in his fist. He had shared a brief bottle of beer with his friend before excusing himself from the room, confessing that he had a 'damn friend' waiting and was anxious to try out this new part in the machine.

The captain froze as he reentered the room, chaos having erupted in his short absence. Every man in the room was either yelling or cheering something, several hanging limply over the countertop beside the door he exited. He grit his teeth in anger as he saw several men fly up into the air and land against the rafters with dull thuds, a small high-pitched voice yelling with exertion over the roar of the crowd.

The crowd parted just enough for him to see what he had known to be the cause. The little Wutai woman was flipping back and forth, a broken cue in her slender fingers as men rushed at her. A pile of three bodies lay across a pool table closest to her, one of men's face completely smashed in by a long thin stick-like weapon. Cid glanced to either side, looking for some method to end the hostilities while still rescuing his stupid, stupid friend.

A small cheer rose again as several of the men bum-rushed the agile ninja, grabbing her arms and legs. Grunting in effort as they pinned her against the table she had deposited her earlier assailants upon. A few men pried the broken cue out of her fingers while others held her arms and legs down to cease her flailing and struggling.

"ENOUGH!" Cid roared, his hands wrapping around the wooden shaft of a mop that hung idly within a bucket of filthy water. The men all turned, several having large lashes across there face from being assaulted. Those that were further away were unhurt, and appeared to not be participating in the fight but instead cheering it on for either side to win.

"Back off, Captain, this little bitch started it," one of the wounded men said, struggling to maintain his grip on her arm. "We're just gonna teach her some manners, nothin' dirty."

Cid set the sack he had been carrying down and drew the mop handle up, the dripping bundle of yarn for the head sloshing with water as he rest it against the dirty floor of the pool hall. His dark blue eyes glared at the men holding his struggling friend down, oddly reminded of a similar scene several days before. "Let the damn brat go."

"Or what?" one man called, nursing an arm that had been bent at the joint in the wrong direction. "You'll kill us all with your broom?"

"Mop," Cid replied, his steely glare turning to the man who spoke last to him. He found it easy to maintain the anger building inside of him, especially when Yuffie gave a small whimper of pain as someone squeezed an already sore shoulder.

"What?" the man questioned through gritted teeth.

"Or I'll kill you all with my damn mop."

The crowd of men froze, the color draining from each of their cheeks. They all knew who they were speaking to, and more over they knew what he had been able to accomplish four years ago with a similar cleaning utensil. Reluctantly the fingers let the struggling ninja go, a small huff of frustration escaping her lips as she slid down to her feet and dusted herself off. She bound quickly towards the door and spun, an angry glare crossing her gentle pale eyes.

She reached a finger up and pulled the bottom of one eye-lid down as she stuck her tongue out at the crowd. "NYAH!" she mocked, before turning and walking out of the hall, dusting herself off further.

The blonde haired captain tossed the would-be weapon back into its home in the bucket and retrieved his merchandise. He pushed his way through the stunned crowd, muttering his disapproval as several of the men offered their apologies or explanations to him.

Emerging outside, he found the small thief waiting for him, her arms folded timidly behind her back. A small frown was on her lips as she stared up bashfully at him, stray wisps of her hair dancing across her cheeks. Through the scuffle, she had lost her headband and her hair hung in disarray across her cheeks and ears.

"Cid, I'm sor…" she started as the captain shoved his way passed her and began walking towards his home.

She hurried to catch up to him, her hands reaching up to straighten her hair a bit before she caught up. Once beside him, she nervously reached her hands back up, hoping to wrap around his arm again much as she had when they first walked down the street.

His arm jerked away from her touch, causing her to recoil in uncertain rejection. The walk home was uncomfortably silent as the young ninja refused to risk the torment of his wrath any further. She could sense his anger the entire trip, his fingers gripped tight against the bag he carried as puff after puff of white smoke rose from his quickly inhaled cigarettes.

Once he reached the front steps to his house, Cid suddenly stopped. His fingers released the sack he had been carrying, allowing it to fall to the wooden planks of the stairs with a dull thud. He quickly spun around to face her, his eyes blazing with anger as he stared down at her.

Yuffie hung her head as she awaited the outrageous wave of insults that was sure to flow from his mouth. Her eyes clenched shut as she waited, knowing the volume and degree in which he would attempt to berate and insult her.

Instead, she found shaking arms wrapping around her, drawing her into a warm embrace. She found her heart racing as she opened her eyes, finding the dark blue of his t-shirt in her vision. The smell of his body, so much like motor oil and sweat, caused a warm blush to dance onto her cheeks. For once, she found the aroma to be oddly soothing as she took it in, pressing her cheek tight against his chest.

"Don't fucking do that, Kid." His breath tickled against the top of her head as he spoke. His arms gave her shoulders a small squeeze.

"Do what, ol… Cid?" she asked, surprised at the gentleness of her own voice. Her head turned up slowly to look at him, the icy blue of his eyes gazing down at her with concern as he let his fingers drift numbly away from her shoulders and off of her body.

"Don't scare me like that again," he said, before scooping up the sack of parts and disappearing into his home, leaving the young ninja to stand alone on the set of stairs.

Her fingertips reached up to brush gently across her breast, the thumping of her heart racing against her fingernails even through her clothes. For a long, agonizing moment, she stood staring at the doorframe that her friend had disappeared into, her mind racing over the conflict of her heart.

She knew that, despite it all, despite everything he had done for her today, she was just using him. He wasn't what she wanted out of life, no matter how nice he would act to her.

Deep down…she would always love Vincent.

**End Chapter 5**


	6. Hope and Despair

Disclaimer: All elements of Final Fantasy VII are copyright 1997 Square Co., Ltd. Anything else recognizable is likewise not owned by the author and/or is completely coincidental. No money is being made from this story.

Rated M for mild content, violence and language (mostly Cid's).

Author's Note: Thank you to the people that continue to review. I really do appreciate it. Vincent makes another appearance! But, those of you that like Vincent may not like this chapter very much. I've also realized that I must be hungry when I write these chapters, as just a quick, top of my head count, 4 of my 6 chapters have food in them. Constructive criticism is welcome, as are rave reviews! Flames will be used to help make s'mores.

**Hope and Despair**

**Chapter 6**

The gruff pilot tossed and turned against his lumpy couch, an annoyed groan escaping his throat. He struggled to maintain the peace that was in his dreams as he buried his head beneath the single pillow he had been using. The light blanket had long been discarded from his body, tossed across the room in a frustrated huff.

A sharp hangover headache lingered in his mind, causing the pearly white teeth within his mouth to grind menacingly together. Normally Cid could ignore the pain brought on by a night of his overly ambitious drinking, however the mornings had grown more and more unbearable in recent times.

It had been several weeks since he allowed the young materia thief known as Yuffie to stay in his home, and he regretted it nearly every day since his fateful decision. Rarely did she allow him the leisure of savoring his hung-over state, choosing instead to wake him with her increasingly annoying activities.

This morning he could hear the faint sound of struggle through the padded material of his pillow. Apparently, his two roommates were having some sort of dispute that the irate captain chose to normally stay out of, finding it easier to choose neither side in their little verbal wars. However, this time the argument had grown increasingly heated over one thing or another, loud crashing and banging joining the irritating buzz that had wormed its way to his ears.

"GEEZUS FUCK!" Cid screamed, finally succumbing to the sounds and sitting up on the old, ragged couch had he been using for a bed. Blood-shot veins crept dangerously along the regularly dark blue swirls of his eyes, causing Cid to squint a bit against the morning light that was sneaking into his normally darkened living room.

He opened his mouth to scream at his two friends, when a puzzled look of shock danced onto his brow. The young ninja woman had the tiny cat creature held up in her hands, one of which was tugging roughly on the side of the poor robot's mouth, stretching it bizarrely out of shape. The other hand was wrapped right around poor Cait Sith's neck, holding him up by the scruff of his flowing red cape.

The little robot had his hands full of her raven-black hair, pulling large strands out from beneath the white bandana she was sporting. His little brown boots were pressed firmly against the tender cheeks of the little Wutai teenager, pushing against them as he struggled to escape her grasp. Cid could see dark black boot prints up and down along the normally pristine and white apron that the ninja wore over her everyday clothes, obviously the struggle having lasted longer than the captain could recall.

"What the blue fuck blazes is going on over there?" he growled, his fingers gripping tight against the pillow that he had intended to hurl at the two.

"Oi, Cap'n! Ya gotta help meh! This wee she-devil is tryin' ta make me inta a wee girly!" the cat answered first, turning the little squinty slats of his eyes up in a pleading manner. Without his moogle mount or materia, Cait Sith was little more than a glorified toy with intelligence, so the young thief was easily over powering him. "She thinks it'd be right cute ta replace me crown wit' a ribbon!"

The young woman huffed, squirming her cheek against the press of the little leather boots planted in her face. "It'd be cute!" she defended, her fingers giving a sharp tug against the side of Cait Sith's mouth. "Besides, I'm the only royalty here. You shouldn't be wearing a crown if I can't have one!"

"But it be mine!" the robot pleaded, trying in vain to desperately escape the slender fingers wrapped around his neck. "If'n ya be built wit' one, I'd nay ask ya ta take it off!"

"Shut the fuck up, both of you!" Cid barked, causing both of them to cease their struggle. "Sweet Gaia, can't a man get some fucking sleep around here?!" he continued, throwing the pillow back against the couch and rising up to his feet. Slowly the two people fighting lowered their limbs, Yuffie placing Cait Sith gingerly on the table.

Cid took a deep breath as he tried as best he could to calm his anger. He knew they hadn't meant to wake him, but even his patience was running thin when it came to milking his hangover. His cobalt blue irises glanced around his once filthy living room, for a moment allowing a smile to hint against his lips.

In the few weeks since her arrival, Yuffie Kisaragi had taken it upon herself to give the home a woman's touch. Everywhere he looked he saw signs of tidiness and borderline anal scrutiny when it came to cleanliness. His magazines, which had once been strewn about, were now neatly stacked and organized beside the small brown television set in the living room. The once discarded piles of clothes had all been gathered up and washed, being neatly folded and placed in little piles where Cid could easily access them without disturbing Yuffie in the bedroom.

The sink had long since been thoroughly cleaned; the piles upon piles of filthy dishes now lay in the well-cleaned cupboards of the kitchen. Cid even found neatly folded dishtowels ready to be used draped lazily over the edge of the sink, and he wasn't even aware that he owned any of those besides what he kept in the bathroom.

The bathroom itself had gone through a full make-over. The normally brown and green bathtub had been scrubbed and disinfected, a chore Yuffie had claimed to have taken a good day and a half. The tattered, old shower curtain was replaced by a new, slightly more brightly colored one that a man wouldn't have chosen. The bathroom sink even had little hand soaps displayed proudly on the rim, tiny seashells giving a gentle rosy aroma.

Cid had known it would be a change to have a woman here, but he never expected her to use all of her free time to turn his home upside down. Everywhere he looked he saw a faint hint of feminine charm that the house had been sorely lacking for the better part of two years. From the little potted yellow flowers in the kitchen window to the little pink magnets hanging against his well-weathered fridge, he knew that the kid had taken a bit of consideration to not make it feel too girly, while at the same time making it feel homely.

Originally, the gruff pilot found it irritating that the young ninja woman insisted on doing her part around the house, maintaining the appearance and feel of the interior. But once he saw how much joy it brought her to be feeling so useful, he bit his cheek and allowed her free reign over his home.

In the meantime, Cait Sith and himself had busied themselves fixing up the outside. Their first project involved repairing and repainting his picnic table. Yuffie had insisted on eating outside during the prettier clear days, claiming that she wished to enjoy the fresh air as long as she could if the end were quickly approaching. Once the table was done and Cid had sat down to test it out, he was surprised to find the brat come out with a pitcher of lemonade and small sandwiches for himself and his little robotic companion. A high-hemmed mini-skirt fluttering lightly in the wind covered her thighs, and caused the captain's eyes to dart away and instead focus on the big brown patches of dirt of his lawn.

That had been the second project.

As soon as Yuffie was able to move without anymore pain throbbing in her joints, she insisted that she had to continue her training. Her reasoning was that the big old geezer wouldn't be around to protect her forever, dying of old age sooner than anything else. So, she begged and pleaded for him to set up some form of training area for her, something where she could flip and practice without hurting her 'delicate' knees on the rough dirt.

It didn't take Cid long to procure several large patches of grassing mats from a merchant in town. The blonde-haired captain spent the better part of a week planting and reseeding his yard, making sure to cover every square inch of dirt with the dark green tuffs of grass. Each morning, despite nursing a hang-over induced headache, Cid would awake and begin the long process of repairing his long-abandoned lawn. Rain or shine, the mornings were the most active time of day for the gruff pilot's cozy little household.

This latest morning the young ninja and robot seemed more energetic than ever. There had always been a sense of tension between the three, kind of a hate-triangle. A day didn't go by where someone in the household wasn't yelling at another, sometimes caused by the littlest thing. But in the end, Yuffie or Cid would prepare dinner and the three would all sit down and discuss their events of the day.

"What the fuck is wrong with you two?" the captain asked, striking up the first fresh cigarette of the day. He forced himself away from the thoughts of his home and instead turned an icy glare at the two who stood timidly before him in the kitchen.

"Sorry, Ciddy," Cait Sith offered, kicking his little booted toes against the floor lightly, "I dinnay realize we were loud. But I dinnay wish to wear a little bow!"

"Yeah, sorry, old man," Yuffie added in, her hands reaching down to wipe against the boot marks upon her otherwise white apron. A disgruntled huff blew several stray strands of her hair away from her eyes as she futilely tried to wipe the dirt off the fabric covering her clothes. "If you want to go back to sleep, we'll be quiet. I promise."

Cid waved the thought aside as he strode through the kitchen and set up his coffee maker to brew some of the black sludge that'd bring him awake. "Naw, fuck it. I might as well stay up now. I got shit to do today anyway."

The young ninja watched him as she straightened up the kitchen table from her earlier bout with the little robot. "Oh? What do you have to do? The yard looks wonderful and the table's done. Did you plan to work some more on Cait Sith's ride?" she asked, unaware of the little robot tip-toeing slowly for the hallway and away from her possible retaliation from their earlier struggle.

"The mog? Naw, that fucking thing's all but done. Just needs another wire or two so it's got a damn redundant circuit path," Cid said over his shoulder before leaning down to stare eye-level at the black liquid slowly filling up the pot before him.

"Oh, well, that's nice," Yuffie said simply, her hands reaching back to untie the wraps of the apron hugging her tiny frame. The young thief was unaware of the light hum that had begun to escape her throat as she worked, folding the cloth into a little ball and placing it neatly on the counter. Her fingers patted down along the black pants that Cid had purchased for her weeks before, a small smile dancing onto her pale lips.

"Yeah," Cid said, his eyes hungrily watching the small black droplets rain into the pot. It took several minutes for the glass container to fill up, and the second it had Cid retrieved in from the coffee maker. He tipped his head back and poured some of the still hot coffee down his throat with a satisfied smack of his lips.

"Anyway, I've gotta make a few calls and check on something, so I'll be back in a bit," he said, holding onto the still filled coffee pot as he walked for the back door. His fingers snatched at the small telescreen resting on the little base in the kitchen as he walked for the door.

As soon as the gruff captain was gone, Yuffie snatched the little pink ribbon that was drooping lazily over the back of the kitchen chair beside her. "Oh Caaaaait Siiiith," she sang, turning towards the direction of his bedroom door. She was bound and determined to get that little cat in a bow if it killed her.

"HAVE AT YE!" the little robot screamed as he leapt from a bookshelf in the hallway and towards the surprised woman's face.

***

Hours would pass before the captain returned home, an annoyed glare about his face as he stormed into the kitchen and slammed the small black device back onto its waiting home. His fingers worked quickly to replace the dwindling cigarette in his mouth with another, an obvious sign of something bothering him. His eyes darted around the clean kitchen, looking for some vent of his frustration. His eyes froze on the hunched frame of the young woman, bent over the kitchen sink and scrubbing furiously against her face.

"What the fuck…" he started before she spun on him, water dripping from her cheeks. She wore six large black lines across her face, three on each cheek, and a dark red dot in the center of her face on her nose. The skin of her cheeks was a tender pink from her scrubbing at what appeared to be permanent marker.

"Your friend is a jerk!" she screamed, grabbing a clean dishtowel off the counter and rubbing her face down. From the looks of it she had been scrubbing furiously for several minutes to no avail. Whatever Cait Sith had done to her, he had done it well.

"Aye?! N' how do ya propose I feel!" The little voice chirped up. Looking down, Cid had to force himself with all of his might not to bust out laughing. The little cat wore a bright pink ribbon about his neck, the cape and crown being replaced by the new addition. The knot securing the bow was tied in several layers, obviously the work of a skilled Wutai martial artist.

"Serves you right! You little meanie!" Yuffie yelled, throwing the rag over her shoulder into the sink.

Cait Sith responded by sticking his tongue out at the taller girl, his little paws tugging vigorously against the bright pink bow around his neck. His squinty eyes flashed menacingly as the little exchange between the two was too much for Cid to handle.

His arms wrapped across his stomach has he roared with laughter, his body doubled over against one of the chairs at the table. Tears streaked down his cheeks as he pointed a finger out at the little cat creature, who would have blushed bright red if he had the ability to. The sight of the young ninja painted up like a kitten and the cat dolled up like a little girl was too much for the normally gruff captain to handle.

Both stood glaring at him as he eventually was able to contain his mirth, gasping desperately in his attempts to breathe around the laughter.

"Holy shit, that's funny. Damn, my sides hurt now," Cid said, finally bringing his emotions under control. He wiped a few stray tears away from his cheeks for good measures before addressing the two glaring sets of eyes.

"Listen, I got a buddy coming over tonight for dinner. So I'ma jump in the shower." He said, gripping the buckle of his belt and drawing the long leather strap off of his pants. Yuffie quickly turned away to stare at the window, her hands reaching down to idly splash more water against her cheeks. "I promised him some of your fine cookin', kid. So do you think you could whip somethin' up for us? Somethin'…" he pondered, his jaw working as he tried to force out the word he hated to use," …fancy? I need ya to make a good impression on the little fucker."

"Oh sure, whatever old man. Not like I've got anything better to do!" she said, reaching for the towel once again. "What did you have in mind?"

"Beats the fuck out of me," he said over his shoulder as he made his way to the bathroom, his blue shirt already lifting up over his head and flying through the air. "Something from Wutai maybe? They got any damn good food from there?"

Yuffie sighed as she heard the shirt land with a gentle thump against the floor. She turned finally to retrieve the article of discarded clothing as she answered, "Yeah, yeah, old man. I'll think of something."

"Thanks, kid," he yelled before closing the bathroom door behind him. The sound of the shower running came shortly after his disappearance.

_Oooooh that man! I am not his little slave!_ She thought, angrily crumbling the filthy shirt up in her fingers.

Her pale grey eyes quickly darted up to look down the hall, catching the end of Cait Sith's tail disappearing into his bedroom door, followed by the soft clicking of a lock. She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth gently as she spun her head from side to side, double checking to make sure she was alone in the room. Once satisfied of her solitude, she drew the shirt up to her face and inhaled deeply, savoring the lingering warmth that remained from touching his skin.

It was the faintest trace of Cid's essence that drew Yuffie to the memories of days passed, to the deep longing that she fought so hard to withhold. The musky, masculine scent left clinging to the shirt in her hands only served to remind her of just how powerful of a presence the older man seemed to carry around him. She was reminded of just how hard he was working, for her benefit above all else, to repair a yard that was in such disrepair.

Yuffie recalled how, during the hotter days, he worked with a tank top on and the hard valleys of his muscles glistened with moisture in the daylight sun from the rugged chore. Rivers of sweat trailed down his broad shoulders as he worked, cigarette tightly gripped in his mouth. She would gaze at his hard body from within the kitchen when she would prepare the trays of sandwiches and beer as his reward.

Little more had come from the tender hug after their first day in town. She knew it had been more of a friendly gesture from the proud pilot than he had meant it to be, but she found the soft caress of his chest against her cheek lingering in her mind more than she had realized it would. She had assumed it was just a reaction from her rejection from the same day, but all the same…

She felt a longing deep within her heart every time she glanced out the window to watch the man work. He would curse and spit each time he had to redo a patch of grass, drawing small snickers from his robotic friend. But when he would bend over and haul up a new load of the seeding, the tight muscles of his broad shoulders and chiseled stomach would tense, causing small shivers to race down Yuffie's unsuspecting back.

But she still loved Vincent.

In her dreams, it was still the dark, mysterious figure of Vincent waiting for her with arms outstretched. Her intimate fantasies still contained the tall figure of the ex-Turk, longing for him to be with her. Whenever she had time alone to herself, mostly in her freshly scrubbed bathtub, she would close her eyes and picture the strong man with her, causing her to shiver with delight.

Yet a soft whimper escaped her lips as the scent of Cid's cologne and the smoke from his cigarette tickled her nose. She brought the shirt down to hug against her chest as a faint sigh echoed from her throat. "You are pathetic, Ms. Kisaragi," she mumbled to herself before depositing the shirt in a hamper.

Her mind began to race with options for the dinner that Cid had commissioned her to make, her thoughts dancing with ideas. Quickly she moved to the fridge and began to rifle through it to look for ingredients. She peered into several cabinets as well, double checking on some spices and extras.

But then she frowned, her hands resting on her hips in a confused manner. "What the hell? I don't know what his friend likes!"

She knocked courteously on the bathroom door, waiting for a response from the pilot within. When several seconds passed and she got no answer, she slowly turned the knob and popped her head in, hoping that the curtain was drawn to shield her eyes.

A hot wave of steam rushed against her face, causing her eyes to water slightly as she peered into the misty bathroom. Much to Yuffie's relief, the curtain was drawn; the faint silhouette of the man behind it apparent behind the translucent material. A small blush raced onto her cheeks as she gripped the edge of the door timidly, once more calling his name against the sound of the running shower.

When he again didn't answer she stepped fully into the bathroom, closing the door to a crack behind her. This time, as she opened her mouth to call his name louder, she froze. The water spun off and powerful fingers gripped at the edge of the curtain, drawing it open.

Cid stopped in mid stride to step out, his arm frozen as it reached for the towel hanging beside the shower. Crystal clear blue eyes hung on the young woman standing before him, gazing at her in sudden shock and bewilderment.

An extremely audible gasp escaped the young ninja as her eyes danced up and down the fully exposed flesh of the man before her. Her heart raced quickly against her ears as her eyes took in the rugged ridges of flexed muscles of his thighs that lifted to draw him out of the shower, the tendons in his arms tightening as he held the shower curtain open with one arm. Water dripped from the bright blonde locks of hair hanging matted against his forehead, almost acting as a curtain against his surprised face.

She could feel the blush on her cheeks racing down along her neck, disappearing behind the fabric of her tank top. Almost instantly she felt familiar warmth growing deep within her body, a feeling that had normally be reserved for the fantasies of her would-be lover, Vincent. Her tongue ran out to wet her quickly drying lips as her grey eyes snaked across the strong man's body from foot to head.

And then her heart sank.

She had never noticed it before, when he had been working outside, but his entire chest was a field of raised scar tissue. The solid curves of his torso were littered with large gash lines, the skin much paler and tenderer than the surrounding flesh. The lines of scars drew small patterns across his skin, angling upward towards the space on his chest that protected the gently beating muscle of his heart. At the exact location of skin over his heart, she noticed, was a very large 'X' shaped scar, the very middle of which rose and fell with each breathe. A pale green light glowed just below the scar tissue of the X, the materia orb glowing beneath his skin.

Her body ached to race to him and comfort a pain she knew he must endure with each heartbeat. Her heart screamed for her to go to him and to shower him with the warm affection she knew that Cid needed.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" The man yelled, his hand snatching the towel he had been reaching for and shielding his exposed body.

Yuffie snapped out of her thoughts and spun around, her hands reaching up to cover her eyes in delayed protection. "I-I'm sorry!" she quickly explained, the blush lingering on her cheeks as she stared at the blackness provided by her fingers, "I tried to yell for you but there was no answer! I didn't know you'd be getting out so soon!"

"Well, shit, kid, how long did you think I'd be in there?" he demanded.

"I don't knooooow!" she whined, dropping one hand down to blindly grope for the door knob to escape.

"Well? What the fuck did you want?" his voice called, the anger dying down slightly from his outrageous discovery.

Yuffie froze, suddenly remembering her entire reason for being in the bathroom to begin with. Her fingers wrapped around the knob, but didn't turn it. "Oh, I was just wondering what your friend liked. So I know what to cook."

For a brief moment, Yuffie thought she heard Cid hold his breath. It seemed as if he were working to find words to her question that caused her to wonder further about this friend of his. "Shit, girl…just cook what you want to. I mean…" he paused, the gentle sound of dripping filling the room as his hair continued to deposit water against the bathroom tile, "…it's just Vincent."

She spun around, her hand dropping away from her eyes as she stared with wide-eyed wonder at the man. Much to her relief he now had the large fuzzy towel wrapped around his waist, and somehow he had produced a cigarette to light within the small confines of the bathroom.

"What?" she asked, a delighted smile spreading across her lips.

"Yeah, um, I convinced the prissy fucker to come out for dinner. I told him we'd discuss my…ya know…problem?" he admitted, his hand reaching up to scratch the back of his head. "So, why don't you go out there and cook something you think he'd like. I mean, shit, girl, you've got the hots for the guy. Win him over with your food. Ya never hear 'the way to a man's heart is through the stomach'? Well now's your chance," he said, suddenly sounding very smug about the whole deal.

If Yuffie didn't know any better, she would swear that Cid was trying to help her win the heart of the man she loved.

In sheer delight, she raced across the room and threw her arms around the surprised man's waist, brushing her cheek lightly across his moist chest. "Thank you so much, Cid!" she muttered, giving his tensed body a gentle squeeze.

Before he could say another word she was gone, closing the door behind her with a gentle click.

Cid walked across the bathroom tile, his wet feet thumping against the floor as he approached the fog-covered mirror above the sink. With one hand propped against the side of the sink, he reached the other up to wipe across the condensation on the glass, giving himself a view to peer into his own icy blue eyes.

"Alright, Cid, ya old bastard, time to put your plan into motion," he said, a sinister smirk crossing his lips.

The hand that had just removed the moisture from the mirror reached up to press against the small scar etched into his flesh just above his heart. Pressing down he could feel the hard orb of materia just below the skin pulsating evenly. His eyes glanced down to the mirror to look at his jaw line as his head tilted back to expose his neck. Much to his dismay the normally rugged stubble of his chin seemed reduced, as if he had recently shaved it down. But of course, Cid didn't even own a razor.

***

By the time Cid emerged from the bathroom, the kitchen was in an uproar. The blonde-haired pilot stood in stunned disbelief as he approached the end of the wall, his small black robot friend standing mutely in the doorway of his own room.

In her delight over having Vincent there, Yuffie had drawn out every ounce of food she could muster and knew a recipe for, littering the counters and table with ingredients. The small ninja raced back and forth between boiling pots, pans, and a large shallow saucer-like pan atop a small burner on the counter. She nimbly dropped diced up ingredients in one or the other instruments, a light hum escaping her throat as she filled the kitchen with an old Wutainian song.

"The fuck is this…?" the baffled Cid asked, earning a small shrug from Cait Sith.

"I dunno. I heard a commotion n' came out ta give a wee peeky," the little cat said, the small pink bow wrapped around his neck having been shredded in his desperate struggle to remove it.

"Yo! Brat! What the hell you do to my kitchen?" Cid yelled over the banging of utensils against pans.

She glanced over her shoulder, a bandana tied over her head to keep the hair out of her eyes once more. In her rush she had slipped the apron back on, and with good reason. The thin white fabric was smeared with different colors of food and sauces that she had spilled in her hurried preparations.

"Shush up, ya old geezer!" she said, spinning around to drop a large pile of diced vegetables into a boiling broth. "You said Vincent's coming! So, I'm making everything I know how to. It's been weeks since I've seen him. Tonight's the night when I pounce and I want him thoroughly sated when I declare my love for him!" she announced, a bright glimmer crossing the grey pools of her energetic eyes.

"Does she nay know tha' she's been declarin' her love fer the last four years, to nay avail?" Cait Sith said, turning his head up to look at his friend. His tiny paws idly tugged against the ribbon adorning his neck, struggling in vain to pry it off.

A satisfied smirk flashed back at the little cat creature, the captain giving him a simple shrug. "Yeah, Cait, but tonight's different. We're gonna give her all the room she needs to work tonight. Trust me," he said, flashing his tiny black robotic roommate a quick wink. "I've got faith in the damn kid, this time. She's really matured, ya know?"

"Aye," Cait Sith mumbled, turning back to his room and disappearing inside.

By the time Yuffie had finished, the kitchen was covered in dozens of plates and dishes, each holding a different array of foods from her native land. Fried rolls and pouches of vegetables warmed in a large bowl, with several varieties of soup wafting their aromatic scent through the kitchen. Noodles, rice, bread rolls, and fried meats of many sorts lay divided upon different plates, each having its own spice added.

Upon completion, Yuffie had excused herself to prepare for the dark man's arrival. Several hours had passed since she heard of her love's potential arrival and she refused to stop until she ran out of ingredients. Taking it as her time to clean and shower, she disappeared in the bathroom with a stern warning to not touch any of the food.

Cait Sith stared, jaws agape, at the array of food before him. "Caw blimey, Ciddy ol' boy. Would ya lookit this spread? I dinnay know th' lass could cook like this…" A sneaky paw reached up to snatch a nearby roll from a plate above the little robotic cat.

Cid quickly batted his friend's paw away, giving him a stern glare. "Stop it, damn you. This is the kid's time to shine. We ain't gonna fuck this up." At the chagrined pout from his friend, the captain offered another quick wink. "Don't worry; I'll make us some dinner later, just follow my lead okay?" His small friend nodded his understanding moments before a loud pounding sounded against the front door to Cid's home.

Opening it, he greeted the dark, mysterious man standing with several quick insults and cuss words. Cid quickly ushered the ex-Turk into his home, closing the door behind Vincent with a soft slam.

Vincent wore his standard attire that had grown to be his norm during their travels. The long red cloak drifting lazily around his ankles as the metal boots he wore clanged hard against the floor.

"Nice to see ya fuckin' dressed up," Cid muttered, his eyes darting down to glance at the gun held at Vincent's hip.

"I am dressed as I always am," the emotionally cold man stated, his blood red eyes darting around and taking quick notice at the change in the atmosphere since his last visit. For a moment, a smirk lay on his pale lips as he looked at the neatly piled and organized articles that were once a mess on the floor.

"Well, it's just fucking dinner; we ain't huntin' down Sephiroth or nothing," Cid defended, waving his hand down at Cait Sith who looked ready to say something rather un-Cait Sithy to their old traveling companion.

"Vincent!" Yuffie's voice came, drawing the three sets of eyes up to look at the source. Cid and Cait Sith both stood agape as they gazed at the freshly cleaned young woman who had spent the time in the bathroom properly preparing for her love's arrival.

Her hair had been pulled back, thin lacy strips of cloth holding her hair behind her ears, causing the black strands to frame against the tender flesh of her neck. A small white orchid hung against the top of one ear, brushing the side of her face affectionately. Her lips, normally a pale pink, were now bright red as if she had spent long, agonizing minutes applying some form of make up that Cid was not used to seeing on her. Her petite, lithe frame was wrapped in a formfitting Cheongsam dress, the tiny buttons running just off-center from her chest to keep the material closed. A long slit up either thigh displayed the pale flesh of the ninja woman's legs, with small strips of the same lace material in her hair hugging just above each knee.

Both Cid and Cait Sith struggled to roll their tongues back into the mouths, neither having seen the young Wutai-princess wearing such a fashion before.

"Kisaragi," Vincent stated coldly, his eyes staring unwavering at her own pale grey orbs. For all of her hard work, he seemed unaffected.

"Um, I made us all dinner…" she offered shyly, lifting her arm up to fan across the veritable buffet of Wutai cuisine. She offered a gentle smile to the man, her eyes ignorant to the other two people in the room. She could feel the pounding of her heart within her chest at the sight of him, his rugged body as unchanging as ever. She longed for him to look at her in the same way she did him.

Vincent only offered a simple nod as he made his way through the house and to the kitchen, drawing the chair out motioned for him and sitting down.

Cait Sith made as if to stride right after the tall man, when a powerful palm grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, lifting him off the ground. He looked up in shocked disbelief at the blonde-haired captain holding him up.

"Aw, shit!" Cid said, drawing the attention of Yuffie and Vincent, "I fucking forgot that I promised to fix the lighting in the pool hall tonight! Shit!" He cursed, turning for the door as he threw another wink down at his little friend. "Sorry about that Vince, I fucking forgot when I made our plans. You two go ahead and start dinner; I should be back in a couple hours or so. Come on, fur ball." He said, forcibly dragging Cait Sith away from his earlier promised dinner patty.

And before Vincent could respond, the captain and robot were gone. He was left alone in the house with Yuffie Kisaragi.

Yuffie shot the door a brief glance, breathing a silent thanks to her friends, before returning her attention to the man seating before her. She quickly moved through the kitchen to prepare a sampling plate for him to try, hoping she had made something that would melt his ice-covered heart.

"S-So, did you have a safe trip here?" she asked, her shaking fingers working quickly to transport different rolls and prepared foods onto a waiting plate she had for him.

"Uneventful," he responded, his blood red eyes staring uncaringly at the small pot of flowers resting before him upon the table.

"And how is Tifa doing?" she pressed on; a small flush forming against her cheeks as she hurriedly deposited the dish before him. She timidly wrung her fingers together as she watched him stare at the plate placed in front of him.

"She is alive," he stated again, offering no further explanation but what he felt to be the barest requirement. His clawed hand reached out to pluck a small triangular roll from the stockpile of food resting atop his plate. He gave it a curious squeeze between his fingers, causing a thick white paste to ooze out one edge of the little roll.

His dark eyes shot up to glance at her, black strands of his hair obscuring his features from her view as he took in the entire length of her short body. For the briefest of moments he looked as if his mouth were working for words that never came. The small roll fell from his fingertips with a gentle splat as he released it.

Her questioning eyes never left sight of him as she stepped around the table and sat down in her own chair, the space before her devoid of a prepared plate. Her fingers locked together beneath her chin as she stared dreamily at the figure sitting before her, the object of her affection for the better part of four years. It had taken all of her courage to work up the nerve of wearing her family's ceremonial dress, but she knew that there would never been another chance to win his affection as long as she remained here.

Of course, her living conditions would change after tonight. In her mind she was already working out the rest of her life with this tall, dark, and dreamy man before her. He would finally declare his love for her tonight and then sweep her off her feet. He would carry her far away, perhaps to live near Costa del Sol, where he had always seemed to enjoy the weather there more than any other place on Gaia.

"Is something wrong?" his voice came, snapping her out of her fantasy. She knew before long she wouldn't have need for a fantasy, she was going to make it a reality soon.

"N-No," Yuffie offered, a bright smile playing onto her dark red lips. Her eyes stared in half-opened desire at the dark man before her, a small shudder racking her body at the realization of being so close to him again. She lifted a long, slender leg up beneath the table to brush lightly against his own leather-clad legs, her gaze never wavering from his. She felt his body tense against the touch as she trailed the edge of her foot up and down along the slight curved of his calf.

"Kisaragi, stop," he said bluntly, causing the color to instantly drain from her cheeks. Her foot dropped back to the floor, defeated. She felt her heart ache at the simple words hindering her intimate gesture, a small quiver racing across her bottom lip as she fought desperately against tears that would come.

With renewed resolve in her mission, she tried another tactic. Noticing he had yet to try any of the food placed before him, she reached her hands over and scooped up a fork. She dipped the utensil into a small pile of dark brown noodles resting upon his plate and twirled it briefly, a shy flicker flashing across her eyes.

"You haven't tried anything yet, Vinnie…" she cooed, reaching the fork up from the plate and towards the large buckles of his collar that hid his lips.

"I told you not to call me that," he stated, causing her arm to stop its mission for a moment. She again steeled herself against his cold words and held the fork up as his head tilted down to look at the approaching utensil.

"Say 'ahhh'…" she called, the utensil cresting just over the large leather straps of his cloak. Resigning himself to his fate, his lips parted ever so slightly, enough to allow the young Wutai ninja to slip a bit of the food she had worked so hard to prepare into his waiting mouth.

A triumphant smile spread across her dark red lips as she drew the empty fork away from his mouth, watching intently as he chewed on the results of many hours of hard labor. She felt her heart race as his jaw worked the food, his eyes turning up to stare the blood red orbs into her own waiting gaze.

She opened her mouth to say something when Vincent suddenly rose to his feet, kicking the chair away from his legs as he stood. Curiously she looked on as he turned his head, spitting the ground up mush deposited in his mouth towards the sink. With a clawed hand gripping the edge of his cape, he spun away from the table and began to storm for the door, leaving the shocked Yuffie frozen at the table.

"W-wait!" she called, the fork falling to clatter against the table. "Was it no good? I've made more. I'm sorry, but I've made more you can try!" she pleaded, rising up herself from the table as she stood on shaky legs. It took all of her might to fight back the sudden sob that pushed up through her chest.

"It was disgusting." Vincent said, stopping long enough to glare at the young woman over his shoulder.

Yuffie's cheeks grew a pale white as she stopped her approach of him, several tears beginning to form in her shimmering grey eyes. Her fingers entwined against themselves as she stood several feet from him, her shoulders shivering with the threat of her breakdown.

"I-I'm sorry, Vinnie. I can make something else…" she offered, taking several more hesitant steps towards him. She fought desperately to keep his body in the view of her quickly wavering sight, the tears beginning to cloud her vision. Her heart felt like it was a piece of glass that had just been struck with a hammer, her chest aching at the cold emotion of his words.

"Why do you bother me, Kisaragi? I've told you before to leave me alone," the man said, turning away from her once more and heading for the door.

"B-Because…" Yuffie finally sobbed, the tears streaking heavily down her pale cheeks. Her shoulders shook violently as she raised her hands out to him, as if trying to grasp his retreating image."…I love you, Vincent," she said through the heavy whimpers of her tears, praying that her words would halt his exodus.

"You are pitiful, Kisaragi," Vincent said without care, his hand gripping the doorknob tight as he turned his head a final time to glare over his shoulder at the sobbing and shaking ninja behind him. "And I do not need your 'love'," he emphasized the word as if the mere thought of it was enough to turn his stomach.

Vincent threw the door open as Yuffie broke into another loud fit of sobbing, her arms reaching up to hug her own shivering chest. The dark man strode forward into the night air, leaving the door hanging open behind him as he began to step off of the set of stairs before the captain's home. The ex-Turk froze as his eyes turned down at the large form beneath him on the steps.

Cid sat upon the stairs with his back to the door, a pile of smoked cigarettes littering the ground at his feet. Off in the distance Cait Sith was busy chasing a swarm of lightning bugs that had threatened to invade his territory and he believed it was his sworn duty to eliminate the threat.

Upon hearing the door open, the blonde man rose quickly to his feet and spun, his mouth working around the end of a cigarette blazing brightly in front of his face. "Oh, shit, um, I was just…" he started, before he realized he was staring up at the cold, uncaring gaze of Vincent Valentine. A questioning blonde eyebrow rose up at the man who began to stroll down the steps towards him.

"Done already?" Cid inquired, stepping aside to allow the dark man to pass by him. A hand reached up to scratch against the back of his own neck as the gruff captain glanced back towards the open door of his home.

"So it would seem," the voice responded, matching the cold night air that hung eerily about Cid's ears.

At a strange sound coming from within, Cid peered inside the opened doorway of his house and froze at the sight. Yuffie was on her knees, her arms wrapped tight around herself as she sobbed endlessly in her agony. Rivers of tears ran down her cheeks, forming small pools against the young woman's lap as she allowed her sadness to finally overtake her and rack her body with wave after wave of sorrow.

The sharp clench of Cid's teeth severed the end of the cigarette hanging lazily in his lips, tears welling up in the dark blue pools of his own eyes. He spun around, his hands shaking, to face the dark man who had stopped several feet away from the pilot. Dark red eyes glowed in the nighttime as Vincent glared over his shoulder at Cid, almost daring him to press the matter further.

"You son of a bitch!" Cid screamed; leaping at the unsuspecting man before his own rage caused his body to explode with demand. His fist was flying before he even closed the distance, catching the ex-Turk unprepared for the assault. In mid-spin, Vincent caught the racing fist of Cid Highwind square in the jaw, sending the normally unyielding man sprawling across the filthy ground below.

Leaning up on one arm, Vincent reached a shaking hand up to press against his own jaw, forcing him to wince against the pain. Rivers of crimson poured from his mouth as he spat and coughed, finding himself completely off guard to the attack. Questioning eyes turned up to stare in disbelief at the man towering before him, causing his own cheeks to pale with fright.

Cid stood panting before the fallen form of Vincent, a faint green glow emanating from beneath the dark fabric of the pilot's shirt. His fingers clenched tightly into fists, so much in fact that his nails dug into his own flesh and caused small red pools of his blood to fall, forming at his feet. Vincent, for the first time in his life, found the prospect of engaging in combat with this man to be unsettling.

"Get the fuck out of here," he growled, the eyes staring down at the humbled Vincent flashing with rage that bordered on the inhuman. "If I fucking see your ass again, I'll show you your own FUCKING innards."

And for once, Vincent felt more fear in his heart at that moment than during the entire encounter with Sephiroth. Instantly he recognized a power growing within the angered captain that far exceeded the deep chaotic power housed within his own body. It had been an instant and Vincent found himself unable to even follow the movement of the fist before it had flown at him before. He knew that Cid was no longer on the human level of strength.

***

Yuffie had forced herself to rise to her feet, her body trembling with her distress as she stood. She fought back sob after sob as she walked in a daze towards the kitchen sink. She turned the nozzle and cupped her hands, splashing ice cold water against her face to try to calm herself. She knew that the man she had been chasing for so long was cold, but the sudden harshness of his words caught her completely unprepared.

Her pale grey eyes rose up, catching the faint reflection of her face in the kitchen window before her. She looked like a literal train wreck after her episode, her hair having come loose from the lace cloth holding it back and her long-worked make-up having been smeared from her own tears. Trembling fingers rose up to brush against her cheeks, trying in futile effort to wipe away the marks left by her tears.

She was instantly aware of a sound behind her.

Spinning around she stared in wide-eyed surprise at the figure that had crept into the kitchen without alerting her. Cid was leaning back in the chair that Vincent had previously rejected, his legs propped up on the table as he held the plate of food she had prepared for the object of her love. A fork worked swiftly against the plate, shoveling mound after mound of her well-prepared food into his waiting mouth.

"Ya know, I don't see what the big damn deal is," he mumbled around a wad of food in his mouth, shoveling another forkful in before he continued. "This shit's almost edible." A small cough caused the man to stop ramming his mouth full of food for a moment as he pounded a fist against his chest as if to dislodge something.

Yuffie, despite her heartache and suffering just moments ago, found herself blinking curiously at the sight of the man in front of her. Several small sniffles wracked her body before she felt the ache in her heart begin to recede. Without realizing it she reached into the fridge and produced a tall green bottle of beer for the choking captain, popping the top off with her thumb in the same manner that he had taught her and deposited it on the table for him.

"Oh, hey, what's that shit?" Cid exclaimed, pointing at several steaming dishes still on the counter. "Gimme some of that!" he ordered, the normal gruff demeanor gone from his voice as he hungrily eyed much of the food she had prepared for Mister Valentine. "C'mon, I'm starvin' here! Cait Sith is gonna want some when he comes in and I'll be damned if I gotta fight that little fuzzy ass for some of this shit."

The young princess of Wutai found she was smiling as she quickly went to work producing another plate of food for the waiting man. She soared with delight as he consumed plate after plate of her long worked preparations. Depositing several large dishes in front of him, the previously upset ninja placed herself back in the chair she had been seated at earlier. Her fingers folded beneath her cheeks once more as she stared in tender appreciation at his show.

Cid stopped in mid-bite, a small fried roll dangling teasingly against his fork as he noticed his young houseguest staring at him from across the table. "What?" he inquired before sinking his teeth into the warm and crispy biscuit.

"Nothing…" Yuffie said softly, shaking her head as she stared at the older man who sat engorging himself on her food. She wasn't sure if he found it enjoyable or if he were in fact forcing himself to consume it, but she didn't care. A gentle sigh escaped her lips as she watched her friend, her companion, and her savior, feast on the food she had intended for the man she loved.

_And perhaps,_ she thought_, that's who got to eat it after all._

**END CHAPTER 6**


	7. Three Little Words

Disclaimer: All elements of Final Fantasy VII are copyright 1997 Square Co., Ltd. Anything else recognizable is likewise not owned by the author and/or is completely coincidental. No money is being made from this story.

Rated M for mild content, violence and language (mostly Cid's).

Author's Note: Thank you to the people that continue to review. I really do appreciate it. I apologize for the delay in this recent chapter, I took a few days to step back and assess several aspects of the story that had come to light. The primary concern that I was debating about was the term 'purple prose', a term that I had never heard before. To be honest I was never an English major so I spent awhile researching the exact details to clarify the concern several reviewers had. I will do my best to try to eliminate any unnecessary usage of the 'purple prose' form of writing, but I do find it important to express detail when it becomes a primary focus in the chapter. My beta (who is also my roommate) was equally confused by the term, but we are working to prevent too much unneeded use of 'purple prose' in the future. But as neither my beta nor I are English majors, please don't expect it to disappear altogether.

As for this chapter and the preceding chapters, the primary reason for the story is finally coming to light. I admit when I first started writing this, it was supposed to be a strictly Cid/Yuffie romance, but I found that, as I was writing, I needed some form of world-altering nemesis to keep my mind in the same gear of it being "final fantasy". This may turn several readers off from the story, those expecting a pure romance may already be disappointed with the introduction of another Weapon. But I felt that in the game only Cloud and Tifa/Aeris truly had a chance to let their romance bloom while dealing with the conflict. I always wanted to see how Cid and Yuffie could react when they themselves had to deal with more than just a relationship. Granted it seems like a few of the cast members (Cloud and Vincent to be sure) seem a bit out of character, but trust me on this…there is method behind their madness.

And as always constructive criticism is welcome, as are rave reviews! Flames will be used to help make s'mores.

**Three Little Words**

**Chapter 7**

The nimble young woman's breath escaped in ragged gasps as she raced across the well-maintained lawn. Her sides burned with tired aches as she exerted her body more than she had in days while her thighs threatened to give out from the harsh motions she was forcing upon them. Rivers of hot sweat ran down her face from the many hours of extreme exercise she had been experiencing.

Yuffie Kisaragi delighted in the ability to be able to fight at her top form, but the weeks of relaxation had made her body soft and nearly destroyed the innate reflexes she had spent years to tone. Now she was paying for her rested days and relaxing afternoons spent at the Highwind home.

She spun, her heels digging roughly into the freshly cut green grass, and narrowly avoided a streak of blue light that came crashing down to the ground mere inches before her. She twisted her body just in time, drawing herself backwards into several well-timed back flips, as a barrage of sparkling blue lights rained down towards her, leaving small divots in the earth that glistened with freshly deposited shimmering shards.

The air turned a frosty cold as blast after blast of arctic wind pursued the agile ninja. Every time the blue light struck the earth, a small crater of dirt and ice rose up, warning at its intended mission.

It took all of the young thief's might not to lose herself in the agony of what would happen should one of the blasts hit her. She knew of course that the hit would not be fatal, but as skimpy as her battle attire was, it would not feel pleasant.

But then it would give herself an excuse to warm herself in the strong arms of her newly realized love. Yuffie allowed herself a brief moment to visualize the prospect as the blue beams halted their assault, obviously the source needing several long moments to recharge.

She pictured what it would be like to be panting heavily as those strong arms would wrap around her slender shoulders. She had grown quite fond of his scent, the mere hint of his cologne more than enough to drive her heart racing. She would bury herself against his strong chest, and she would grasp him so tight he'd be powerless against her wanting desires, her aching lust. It was no longer the ex-Turk that haunted her carnal fantasies, but instead the man who had proven time and time again to be there for her.

Her blonde-haired, blue-eyed hero.

Yuffie snapped out of her daydream just in time to dodge another barrage of missiles, these ones sizzling with intense heat. The raging fireballs flew over her head, missing the tip of her hair by mere inches, as she spread her legs quickly and dropped into a split below the new onslaught. She leaned backward against the soft grass, a few blades tickling against the edges of her neck; before she kicked her legs back up and rose to her feet in one swift motion.

Her fingers worked to hurl her readied shuriken at her attacker, when she froze dead in her swing. A bright yellow-feathered bird materialized just inches before her shocked face, the little orange beak spreading open in a confused warble.

"Wark?!" The chocobo squawked, causing the ninja to falter at her intended attack. A tiny white creature bounced back and forth on the large bird's back as the chocobo cocked its head from side to side in curious amusement at the startled ninja.

"Wha…?" Yuffie began, taking a step away from the conjured creature. Her feet fumbled over a small raised patch of dirt, causing her to tumble backwards with her arms flailing in increased concern. She landed hard against her back side, a sharp pain stabbing into her pert bottom.

She jerked her head up to where the chocobo stood, the sun shedding its light against the yellow bird's feathers. The distracted ninja was forced to squint her eyes up at the creature while a dark shadow leapt over the chocobo's body and descended upon her. A high-pitched whistle filled the air as the sharp point of a weapon came racing down at her face.

Yuffie found herself squealing in fright as her arms instinctively rose to shield herself against the assault that never landed.

"I win again, kid," the gruff voice of Cid Highwind said over her. Peeking through her arms she found the tip of his spear pointed at the spot between her pale grey eyes, hovering just inches away from the flesh of her arms.

Yuffie took a moment to glare at her friend as he drew the weapon away and slapped the butt of it on the grass beside himself. His fingers were already working to light up a cigarette as he looked over at the waiting chocobo. In an instant the confused creature disappeared, leaving a small yellow feather to drift lazily down and land between the disgruntled ninja's legs.

Cid allowed a victorious smirk to cross his face as he held a hand down, drawing the grumbling ninja up to her feet.

"Yeah, well, that's 'cause you cheat!" the materia thief complained, reaching her arm back to clip her shuriken across her back. Her hands then reached down to against dust against her soiled shorts where the grass and dirt had cushioned her landing.

"Cheat? Damn it, girl, you told me to use all the materia in my spear," Cid defended, reaching his hand up to rake his fingers through the dirty blonde hair atop his head.

"Yeah, but, come ON! Who honestly uses that summoning during a fight!" she whined, shooting her eyes up to glare once more at the bemused captain before her. She found it irritating that, try as she might; she had found it incredibly difficult to beat him in their little sparing match.

Cid offered her a simple shrug, turning to approach the picnic table that had a bottle of dark brown liquid inside. "I do. Took your ass off guard, didn't it?" he said before taking several large swallows of the burning brew.

"That's not fair, old man! You summoned Shiva, Ifrit, and Choco/mog in the time it would take a normal person to summon just one of them!" she huffed, wiping her hands across her sweat-soaked forehead. She found it oddly relieving that after so many weeks, she could finally last as long as she did without blacking out or throwing up afterwards. Of course, Cid never once took it easy on her, even from day one; a fact she silently thanked him for as it allowed her to regain her previously dormant abilities.

It took him five seconds to beat her the first time they had sparred. She was so upset by it that it took her the better part of a day to even speak to him again. He had never apologized for it, saying that was what she had requested from their bouts, and deep down she knew he was doing it just to make her stronger. Even in combat he was trying to make her life better. A gesture she felt only added to the burning fire raging in her heart when she thought of him.

"Yeah? I didn't even notice. Ya fucking took so long out there. I guess I just had time to bring 'em out." he offered, holding out a small white towel for his friend.

She snatched the towel and stuck her tongue out at his smirking face.

The soft cloth of the fabric dabbed across her warm skin as she went about cleaning the sticky sweat from her body. She found a soft sigh escape her throat as he turned away from her, the towel moving down to dry the hot valley of flesh between her breasts. For an agonizing moment she wished he would keep watching her, to long for her the way she did him, to feel that burning desire. But he was too damn polite for his own good.

_Why does he always look away from me? I know he's a man, they have needs_. She thought, the towel dancing lightly across the soft mounds of her tender breasts beneath her tank top._ I've been here for weeks now, but he hasn't made move one against me. I mean, sure, at first I wouldn't have been willing, but damnit, old man, stop being so damn oblivious! Don't you know what a girl's heart wants? Maybe I should just…_

With her bottom lip pulled gently between her teeth, Yuffie lowered the towel from her chest and began to wring it shyly between her fingers. Her eyes danced across the broad shoulders of the man before her as he reached out and retrieved a small envelop from the table. Obviously it had been placed there before their match, but remained unopened. She felt her heart race against her chest as she stared at him, working up the nerve she had long been holding in reserve for this moment. "Cid," she started, her feet shifting uncomfortably against the ground as she spoke, "Cid, I lo…"

"Shit!" he cursed, causing her to stop mid-sentence.

_Oh god, he's just like Vincent! Abort, Abort, Abort! _Her mind raced. Thoughts of the tall, dark man who rejected her feelings suddenly forcing into her previously hardened nerves. _You don't want him shooting you down the same way that Vincent did…_

The older man spun around, holding a paper out for her to see. It was a light brown parchment with little designs written all over it. Small balloons were drawn along the borders, a large wheel-like device displaying in bright yellow and red ink in the middle. The letters 'Rocket Town Annual Festival' were written just above the wheel, sparkling against the early afternoon sunlight with what appeared to be glitter glued to the paper.

The pale grey orbs of Yuffie's eyes blinked in confusion as she leaned closer, reading some of the smaller print on the paper. Much to her relief she realized this was the reason he had made the outburst, not her hinted at declaration of her feelings. Her heartbeat began to slow a bit as she read the letters while her cheeks tinted a faint pink at the thought of the moment that almost was.

"What's this?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in curiosity.

"They throw this shit every year. It's some fucking celebration of the time we all defeated Sephiroth," the captain grumbled, pulling the paper away from her and crumbling it up.

"So, it's a party for YOU?!" she asked in sudden interest, a bright smile suddenly dancing on her soft pink lips.

Cid tossed the paper over his shoulder and gave her another small shrug, resting the shaft of his spear in the crook of his elbow as he looked off in the direction of town. "I guess. They beg me every year to go see their shit. But I never go. Hell, the first two years Sh…um…We decided it was too much noise n' shit."

Sudden hope flashed across Yuffie's eyes as she reached out and grasped at his free forearm, giving it several gentle tugs. "Oh, can we go? Please, please? I'd love to see how your home town celebrates!"

"Fuck that," the gruff captain said, despite the small tint of a blush that was forming against his cheeks. "I didn't go the last couple of years, I sure as shit ain't goin' this year."

"Oh, pleeeease?" she pleaded, turning her big watery eyes up to gaze at her tall friend.

The gruff pilot shifted uncomfortably as he looked down at her. He felt a slight tightening in his chest as he pondered denying her request again. For some reason, the thought of making her upset made his heart ache and he hated to see her beautifully almond-shaped eyes fill with tears. He worked the cottony butt of his cigarette between his teeth for several long seconds before he sighed and lowered his head.

"Fine…" he grumbled, letting the butt drop from his lips and fall to the grass below where he quickly smothered it with his boot.

"YAY!" Yuffie squealed. "I'ma go get ready!" she announced, leaning up on her tip-toes to plant a brief kiss along the underside of Cid's jaw. The rough stubble on his skin tickled her lips for a moment before she drew herself away from him and darted into the house. "I'ma shower real quick!" she called back before disappearing into the doorway.

Cid stood in uncomfortable shock, the skin along his jaw line tingling with the same sensation his hand had felt nearly a month before. Numbly he reached a hand up to scratch against the slightly raised fuzz of his stubble, a small sigh escaping his lips. For a moment, he wondered what it would be like if he had turned his head just then and met her lips with his own. Would she have been soft and warm? Or would she shatter against his touch like a fragile porcelain doll?

"You're a dirty old man, Cid Highwind. A damn dirty old man…" he mumbled to himself as he spun around and disappeared into the house.

***

"Would you hurry the fuck up?" Cid yelled down the hall, his boots tapping impatiently against the floor. It had been almost an hour since the Wutai woman had disappeared in the bathroom, and Cid was growing more and more irritable by the second. He glanced at the closed door, praying Cait Sith wouldn't exit the door right now and ask what exactly the plan for the day was.

Cid felt he would die if he had to explain to the little robot that he was taking the kid to the festival in town.

The door to the bathroom finally creaked open as Cid was about to open his mouth to yell once more down the hall and the little ninja woman stepped out.

After her shower, the Wutai ninja had selected for herself a shockingly ironic outfit to wear. Her hair hung, freshly rinsed, across her delicate features like wisps of black silk caressing her slightly tanned skin. The altered outfit that Cid had acquired for her during her first day hugged tight against her lithe frame, her muscles having toned further since the initial alteration to the shirt and pants. Two black strips of thin fabric hugged just above her hips before diving down below the waste of the black pants, causing a faint dark desire to flash briefly in the blue-eyed pilots mind.

"What is it old man?" she said, stepping towards him with her arms timidly folded across her bare abdomen.

"N-Nothin, kid. You ready?" he quickly offered, shaking his head to rattle the shock out of his mind. He had seen her like this before, but with her hair hanging loose like that she seemed much different. For a second he thought she looked rather…beautiful. Sure he had thought she was pretty as girls went, but now she almost seemed like a raven-haired deity emerging from his hallway.

"Uh huh!" she responded, nodding her head vigorously.

Before long they were on their way out of the house and quickly making their way towards the town, the young woman strolling happily beside Cid as he idly struck up another cigarette to ease his nerves.

Yuffie marveled as she peered off into the distance, catching the sight of tents and attractions from as far away as her friend's nearly isolated home. Brightly colored balloons drifted up from the horizon, disappearing off into the fluffy white clouds hanging over head. Pennants waved in the breeze above the crest of several larger tents, each one possessing an emblem of course that the young ninja found it impossible to identify from a distance.

The smell of freshly cooked food and snacks wafted with the breeze, greeting the two before they even reached the festival held in, by proxy anyway, their honor. The sound of loud noise-makers and firecrackers filled the mid-afternoon air as Cid escorted his young friend to the festivities of the Rocket Town Celebration.

Yuffie found herself amazed by the sheer size of it all. The gathering was enormous. Many of the vendors had taken down their shops for the event, being replaced with tents and booths of various games and attractive prospects. It spanned the entire length of the street and then some, trickling several of the smaller tents out of the city limits and onto the grassy fields surrounding the town. In the four years since their victory over the despot, Sephiroth, she had never seen such a display of joy in the whole world.

Everywhere she looked, children were playing, many times more than she had seen during their earlier visit to the town. Men were carrying stuffed animals of various sizes, obvious trophies of their prowess when it came to the games littering the festival. Several of the man had beautiful women draped upon their arms in romantic delight. The women were smiling and giggling at every word uttered by the men as the couples walked down the length of the celebration.

Yuffie, her stomach tumbling in knots, turned to look at her companion. He was gazing off in the direction of a large mechanical ride that looked similar to a fleet of rockets attached to poles, spinning in a large circle around a musical canopy. It brought a smile to her face as she watched him stare, almost in child-like amusement, at the patrons enjoying the ride that lifted them up and down in the rockets to the tune of the music.

Before she even realized it, her fingers were reaching up and encircling his elbow. Hesitantly she glanced up at him; searching his eyes for hints of rejection. When he didn't instantly pull away she drew herself against his side with a bright smile. She allowed a soft sight to escape her throat as she rest her head against his arm, strolling into the main festivities with the man she had grown feelings for by her side.

_This is nice,_ she idly thought to herself, tracing her fingertips in small circles against the crook of his elbow. _He's not yelling at me, or calling me pathetic. And he's not pulling away from me either…as if he wants me here. _Her thoughts floated into blissful episodes as they made their way down the many scatterings of tents and booths._ Oh how I want to stay here forever._

"How about you, sir? Win a bear for the lovely lady?" she heard a voice call, snapping her from her thoughts. They had passed by a game booth and the man operating it had called Cid out as if he knew the pilot couldn't resist a challenge.

"Damn…" Cid grumbled, pulling his arm away from the clinging woman, much to her disappointment. A faint whimper vibrated against her chest at the sudden loss of his warmth. With a huff of resignation she stepped up to the booth beside him and gazed inside, pondering the game.

"Gimme that shit." Cid barked, slapping several Gil down onto the booth table. The man behind the table pocked the Gil and placed three small darts in their place.

"Just pop a balloon sir and win a prize!" The man said, waving his hand back to the display of multi colored balloons hanging from a wall several yards behind him. The size of the balloons ranged from as large as a melon to as small as a materia sphere, each one corresponding to a bigger reward from the rack of stuffed animals.

Yuffie fought with all of her might not to giggle as Cid's first throw fell several feet short of even reaching the balloon board. The second throw faired even worse, flying up to impale itself into the fabric of the tent above them. It took every ounce of self control for the young Wutai princess not to fall to the ground in a fit of laughter. By the third throw, it was apparent that the captain was terrible at the smaller games of skill such as this.

"Cid, it's okay…" she offered, trying to ease his broken pride as his face burned red with anger. The ring of more Gil being slapped on the table drew her silent.

"Bullshit! This is about a man's pride!" he roared, hurling another round of darts to an equal avail as their previous set. At that Yuffie could no longer hold it back and doubled over on herself in a roar of laughs. Her tiny fist banged amusingly on the table as another set of Gil and darts exchanged hands.

"Son of a bitch! This shit's rigged!" Cid roared, his fourth and fifth set of darts trying in vain to win him a victory. A small pile of darts were quickly piling up atop the tent as more and more sailed upwards through the fabric and landed out of reach of the proprietor.

"Cid, sweetie, let me show you how it's done," Yuffie offered, unaware of her affectionate appellation to her friend. Her fingers reached up and snatched the newly produced set of darts from the irritated captain's fist before he could send the tiny metal pieces flying. Nibble fingers lined up the shot for one of the darts, the tip angling up to point directly at the top most rows of balloons, the smallest ones.

***

Cid fumed as he marched through the festival grounds, a large stuffed panda bear hugging his back. The stuffed animal was nearly as tall as he was and twice as wide, causing the captain to stroll awkwardly around with it.

Yuffie beamed proudly as she swung her arms in arrogant struts before the poor man forced to lug her victory trophy around. She spun around several times to offer him a quick wink and stick her tongue out, before turning again to marvel at the fun activities around her.

Large white puffs of smoke raced angrily from the captain's mouth as he fought desperately to keep his cool. He was nearly hunched over from the weight of the bear and his little friend could do nothing more than proudly display her superiority to him. Yet, he found her ability to succeed where he had failed to be oddly comforting. He knew he wouldn't be around to protect her forever, and her brief display had shown him that he didn't need to be. She was a well-trained martial artist after all, not some little kid he needed to protect, despite the recent events after meeting her again.

"Ooooh, Cid, look! It's fried, flat dough!" Yuffie squealed, hopping away from her gait before him and bounding for a table that was in the process of frying up fresh sweet delights.

"Shit, woman, it's just an elephant ear. Ain't ya never had one?" he grumbled, lumbering with effort of carrying her prize on his back.

She shook her head vigorously as she peered over to watch the white, lumpy dough drop into several pots of bubbling oil. Her tongue ran across her lips in silent hunger as the pastries crisped into a dark golden platter.

"Gimme one," she heard Cid grumble through physical exertion. Turning her head she watched him balance her bear on his back with one arm for support, the other digging into his pocket for several Gil to pay for her treat.

"Oh, thank you, Cid!" she squealed, happily snatching the purchased delight from the vendor and partaking of the faintly powdered fried donut.

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, "don't say I didn't get ya shit today."

Yuffie dragged Cid along the entire length of the concession stand, sampling the sweet and unusual foods that she had never experienced in Wutai. She found it oddly refreshing to have him, carrying her bear, slowly trudging behind her with very few cuss words escaping his lips. She wondered for a moment if he did that consciously or not. Perhaps he were trying to be a gentleman and treating her like more than just some kid who was shacking up at his home.

_Maybe,_ she thought, _he feels the same for me as I do for him. Maybe I should just…tell him!_

She spun on him, her mouth opening wide to express her determined emotions for him. She froze at the sight of him setting the bear down on the ground and arching back, his spine popping with several small cracks. The front of his shirt hugged tight against his flexing abdomen, drawing the breath out of her lungs as she stared, wide-eyed, at his muscular torso. No matter how many times she saw it, the sight of his body always drew a lump to her throat. She felt her thighs squirm against each other as she made her body show enough restraint so as not to immediately leap upon his body and kiss him from head to toe. And, of course, she wouldn't dare stop with just kissing.

"Here," Cid said, holding up a small ball of cottony fluff. He had purchased it from the table she had stopped in front of, assuming she had wanted to sample something else.

Quickly she buried her face into the spun sugar puff, her cheeks blazing with embarrassment at her near-possible outburst seconds before. She crossed her eyes in irritation as a small bit of the fluff clung to the tip of her nose.

Cid chuckled at the young ninja woman before him, her tiny nose wrinkling in mild annoyance at the stubborn chunk of cotton candy attached to her skin. He found it odd that since the dart toss adventure, he felt little need to light up more than a single cigarette since her display over him. For some reason his nerves weren't nearly as wracked as they normally were. Almost as if being near this tiny ball of energetic youth was more relaxing than he had anticipated.

"Here, lemme help ya with that, kid." Cid said, reaching his hand up to pluck the small bit of spun sugar off her delicate little nose.

Cid's chest tightened as he gazed down at his friend, his hand working on its own accord as it moved down and held the waiting fluff just before Yuffie's gentle pink lips. He felt, for the first time in a while, a deep burning in his heart as he watched her mouth slide open slowly. Her pale grey eyes stared unwavering up at him as he pressed the candy lightly into her waiting lips; lips that then closed around his extended fingertips. The gruff man felt a small shudder race down along the small of his back as he felt her hot, moist tongue darting against his skin.

Yuffie gave a soft moan against the fingertips between her lips, caressing his warm flesh with her adoring suckle. She allowed her eyes to slide closed in a lust-fueled fantasy as she moved her hands up, caressing against the hard ridges of his shirt pressed against his chest. In her mind she felt they were the only two people in the world, alone in this desire together.

It was several long seconds before Yuffie allowed the fingers to slide leisurely from her hungry lips, a soft pant escaping her throat as she felt the moist tips of Cid's fingers glide down along her chin to caress lightly across the side her neck. She felt a powerful longing deep within her body as she reached her arms up to the taller man and wrapped them around his neck. Much to her relief his own strong arms slipped down to wrap around her waist, drawing her easily against his body.

"Yuffie…I…" Cid began, his throat parched from the small display of the young woman before him. Any remaining thoughts of her being a kid were gone from his mind. The way she had felt against him now only registered her as a beautiful, compassionate woman in his arms. His fingers pressed lovingly against the small of her back, earning him several small shudders from her body.

"Cid…oh Cid…" she cooed, her fingertips dancing lightly through the short hair along the back of his neck. Her toes arched up as she pressed tight against his body, her hardened nipples poking against her altered shirt and grinding passionately against his well-toned frame.

The blonde pilot's head tipped down as he half-closed his eyes in burning anticipation. He leaned in as he squeezed the woman close to him, his lips searching for the warm contact of her own. He felt the gentle brush of her soft pink flesh for just an instant before a scream drew his attention.

"Shit!" he swore, ripped out of his passion fueled stupor. His head quickly snapped up as his arms relaxed and allowed the slender frame of Yuffie's body to slide down along his own.

The young materia thief groaned in disappointed as her own eyes snapped up, following the man's hardened gaze towards the source of the sound that so rudely interrupted her moment.

A mass of people were stampeding through the festival grounds around them, many screaming and crying as they ran by. Several children were sobbing into arms of their parents as they were carried by, incoherent babbling coming from the young people.

Yuffie felt a cold chill race down her flesh, sending goose bumps to shiver in the frightening atmosphere of the once peaceful faire. Looking up she saw a stone-cold look of determination upon Cid's face, his jaw tensed as he stared off in the direction of the crowd. She knew how familiar this scene must be to him and felt her heart ache to comfort him in a time of possible need.

"Shit, wait here, kid," he barked, shoving his way through the crowd. He had completely forgotten about the events that were about to transpire just moments before, leaving the shocked Yuffie to stand dumbfounded beside her stuffed bear.

"Oh, no you don't! Not this time, Mister Highwind!" Yuffie yelled, storming through the crowd after her friend. She found it was more difficult for her to push through the crowd than he, having lost track of his broad back from her view.

She yelped as the end of the crowd suddenly opened up for her, spilling the startled ninja onto the ground. With a small grunt of frustration, she looked up as her hands moved to dust off her battered knees. The color instantly drained from her cheeks.

Cid was standing with a deep glare, a fresh smoke-stick between his lips. The cigarette was perched in a place that Yuffie felt was rightfully her own as of several minutes ago. Following his gaze she allowed a very audible gasp to escape her lips.

Standing at the very fringe of the fairgrounds stood two massive Behemoths, blood dripping from their teeth and claws as they glared about. The beasts were a sickly shade of dark purple, with coarse tuffs of hair covering their entire bodies and large red manes hugging around their massive necks. They stood on their four paws and glared about, white tusks quivering menacingly as fresh tatters of human clothes billowed from their hungry maws.

"Son of a bitch…" Cid growled, his fingers clenched in determined fists.

"W-What the hell!" Yuffie shrieked, hopping up to stand beside her angered friend. Her hands worked quickly to cleanse her clothes from their newly deposited dirt. "Your town is a damn monster magnet!" she yelled, her own shaky fists rising up in a defensive posture.

"It's 'cause we're so fucking close to the Mt. Nibel reactor," Cid explained, tilting his head down just enough to glance at the young ninja. "When that shit got shut down, it sent out a massive wave of Mako energy. And since this is one of the bigger settlements of people on this continent, the fucking bloodthirsty mutant beasts are drawn to it like bears to honey."

"But we didn't bring our weapons!!" The ninja cried, wincing as one of the large beasts tore at a tent that had been abandoned in the rush. The Behemoth quickly ripped the small wooden shack to shreds, growling in disappointment at not finding any flesh inside.

"No shit! That's why I told you to stay back!" Cid growled back, the ashes from his quickly diminishing cigarette drifting down and disappearing into the wind. "Now stay here!" he commanded, breaking off into a run at the approaching beasts.

Yuffie could only nod as Cid charged at the waiting maw of the threat.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, Cid, what are you doing!" the pilot chastised himself as he raced towards the two beasts. The crowd having dispersed left him little cover to approach and he found the hungry, dark red eyes of the Behemoths staring at him as he drew closer to them. They roared in delight at the prospect of the easy meal of flesh running to them.

Large claws reached up to bat at him as he drew within their range, causing a deep growl to rumble deep within Cid's chest. Inches before the tips of the crimson-tipped claws of both beasts could tear into his flesh, the determined captain threw his body down, sliding below the arc of both monsters' swings. His own arms shot out to deliver a two-fisted hammer strike to the waiting kneecap of one of the beasts, causing the animal to roar in pain but maintain its stance.

The momentum of his slide drew Cid beneath and beyond the large barrel-like bodies of the Behemoths, causing him to stop behind the two creatures. Quickly he leapt to his feet and spun around, his heavy boot lifting up to deliver a hard kick to the same monster's rump that he had previously tried to assault.

The monster again roared, turning its large body around to face the waiting glare of the blonde-haired warrior. The unmolested monster glanced over its shoulder, assessing the full meal of the man as little more than a snack and gave a small snuff of its snout.

_Shit, only distracted one,_ Cid thought, his body darting back to avoid the goring thrust of tusks at his direction. _I don't even have any damn materia to use! Except…_

Lost in his own thoughts, Cid was unaware of the beast lunging at him before it was too late. He ducked to the side to avoid the swipe of another set of claws, only to be caught off-guard by the other racing paw coming from the other direction. The monster executed a quick one-two lunge at Cid, catching him with the second swing. A large gash formed across his arm as pools of crimson splattered across the dirt below him.

"Fuck!" he yelled, leaping away from the beast as his hand snapped up to assess the damage done to his arm. The beast only seemed more infuriated by the warm feel of the wounded pilot's blood. A long slimy tongue snaked out to flick across its paw briefly, earning the Behemoth a taste of the captain's flesh.

Cid grit his teeth with resolve as the beast again lunged at him, counting on the man before him to fall for the same tactic as before. The two paws swiped at Cid, one after the other, to no avail. The blonde fighter quickly kicked off the ground and drew himself into the air. His body rose swiftly above the beast, a scream of pure rage roaring from Cid's throat as he extended his foot down.

The solid crack of boot meeting skull filled the air, causing Cid's ears to ring. The beast, having caught the kick square between the eyes, stumbled in a dazed shake from the blow. The blue-eyed captain hopped back a bit from the stunned beast, giving himself a moment to breathe. His arm throbbed with pain as the rivers of blood ran heavy across his flesh, falling to the ground with soft splats.

Cid raised his fists again, determined to make the beast before him work for its meal, when his legs suddenly grew ice cold. The dark cobalt pools of his eyes grew wide as a sharp, freezing pain suddenly took over his lower body. Looking down Cid's heart sank at the sight of a small, ancient-looking, butcher's knife planted in the back of one of his legs. A tiny green hand gripped the hilt of the blade, a small yellow lantern dangling in the other hand.

"Oh fuck me…" Cid muttered as the Tonberry drew the knife agonizingly slow from the fleshy meat of the captain's leg. Then the chaos erupted.

*********

Yuffie stared in disbelieve as Cid risked his body to attack the two animals by himself. Her heart ached to help him, despite the fact that she was weaponless. Her legs began to move as if to follow the man, when the previously unmolested Behemoth turned its hungry gaze towards her.

Her mouth opened to scream, when a high-pitched voice beat her to it. Her grey eyes darted over to the source and she felt her heart grow cold at the sight.

A small girl lay prone upon the ground beside one of the upturned booths. Heavy rivers of blood raced down the child's head as she tried desperately to crawl away from the beast that was suddenly alerted to her presence. It was the same girl that Cid had promised weeks before to show a display of his magic to. And now she was the target of the unoccupied Behemoth.

Before she even realized, Yuffie found herself racing across the now empty faire-grounds towards the young child. Her pulse raced as she shot a glance towards the monster that had also broken into a run for the little girl, hungry saliva dripping from its open maw.

Yuffie prayed to the gods of the Pagoda that she be faster than the beast, her lungs burning as she pumped her little body as hard as it would go to beat the beast. Her arms flew open as she dove, the shimmering pools of her grey eyes disappearing behind closed eyelids.

The waiting mouth of the beast spreading open wide in hungry delight as the child came into reach. A happy growl escaped its throat as it lunged at exactly the same moment as the little ninja.

The young Wutai thief slowly pried her eyes open and looked down, the huddled form of the child shivering beneath her body as she cradled it in her arms. Yuffie took a quick moment to mentally assess her body, waiting for the hungry teeth of the beast to sink into her warm flesh. When she felt confident that she was still alive, she looked up.

The Behemoth stood frozen in wide-eyed terror as it hung it's still dripping jaws open as if to consume the young females. A tiny yelp began to shake from the large beast's throat as the jaws finally snapped shut and the beast began to buck wildly. It leapt about madly, flailing its legs forward and back as it kicked desperately to dislodge the sudden pain on its back.

Looking up, Yuffie found herself shedding tears of pure delight at the sight of a familiar little black cat.

Cait Sith had somehow gotten onto the beasts back and had pierced two tiny daggers between its shoulder blades. The tiny robotic cat whooped and yelled in delight as he clung onto the two small spikes wedged into the beast's thick hide. The cat appeared to be thoroughly enjoying himself at the poor Behemoth's expense.

"Cait Sith!" Yuffie squealed, climbing up to her feet with the shivering form of the little girl still cradled in her arms. "Oh my gawd, I never thought I'd be so happy to see you!"

"Aye! Figured ya'd say that lassy!" the little robot yelled, gripping the little blades tight in his fingers as the Behemoth bucked about in a futile effort to dislodge him. "Down, lad! I dinnay want ta hurt ya, but ya leavin' me no choice!" Cait Sith ordered, a small titter of joy escaping his lips.

Yuffie turned to retreat away from the thrashing monster when she caught a glance of something that caused her heart to freeze. Off in the distance Cid was struggling against the other beast, large gashes covering his body. He was dodging and avoiding many of the attacks, but despite his nimble avoidance he was dripping with his own blood. She cried out in horror at the sight of the small Tonberry, pricking its little knife at the blonde captain anytime he grew too close to the emotionless little creature.

On the plus side, the Behemoth that Cid had been fighting looked thoroughly worn out. One of its front paws hung limply against the ground as it walked, the limp bent backwards at an improper angle at the joint. One of the massive tusks of the beast was torn off and, much to Yuffie's surprise had been thrust into the creature's own side. Rivers of dark purple blood trailed down the beast's body, giving the scene a gory appeal.

"Uh oh!" She heard Cait Sith say, drawing her attention away from her would-be love. The Behemoth that the little robot had been riding had somehow found the power to buck hard enough to rattle the little cat loose, sending him flipping over the beast and sprawled out across the dirt. The robotic feline sat up with little swirls in his slanty eyes, his head wobbling in a dazed manner.

The ninja woman turned at the sound of the angry growl coming from the beast, its bloodthirsty eyes turning to fall on her tender little body. Her mind screamed for her to run, but her legs felt as if they were made of lead. Yuffie found her eyes closing tight in terror as she spun away from the beast, hunching her body protectively over the little girl in her arms.

There was a dull smack of something solid slamming into something soft and squishy. The air filled with the scent of raw meat and then there was a gentle dripping sound of liquid falling to the dirt.

Fighting the urge to scream in panic, Yuffie forced her eyes open and over her shoulder to see the source of the sound.

Cid stood facing her, a determined grimace against his face as large rivers of blood raced from the sides of his mouth. His arms were spread in a protective shield before the woman while a slowly growing pool of red littered his feet. "H-Hey kid…" he said, his voice cracking with effort. She was only vaguely aware of the grunt escaping his lips as the Behemoth jerked behind him, causing another heavy rain of blood to fall from behind him.

"Oh god, Cid!" she screamed, her arms releasing the child and desperately reaching up to him as she spun to him.

"Stop!" he barked, his quivering arms slowly lowering. "G-Get out of here. It's about to get ugly…" She made no effort to move, his cobalt eyes narrowed in an angry glare, "Get the fuck going…or I'll kick your ass…" he threatened, before a harsh cough threw spatters of his blood out across the horrified Yuffie's face.

Spinning around, he faced down the monster that was more than happy to lap at its freshly painted claws. A small growl of delight escaped the large throat of the beast as it devoured the still warm blood from Cid that it had drawn.

"Yo, Fuzzy Ass!" Cid called, his right arm hanging limply at his side as rivers of his life blood raced down it. When Cait Sith looked up, Cid forced a small grin. "Calculate time. Factor in my wounds and three enemies." Cid ordered, pale grey eyes from the ninja woman darting back and forth between the two friends.

"Aye!" Cait Sith responded, "16 seconds exactly! Anymore'n that results in bleedin' out fa good!"

"Plenty of time…" Cid growled, turning his cobalt glare up at the beast that had completed its small meal of his flesh and was beginning to renew its assault. With a grunt of effort, Cid forced his limp right arm to rise up, resting the hand just above his chest where his heart laid beating. He could hear the poor muscle pounding heavily in his ears, and he almost regretted what he was forced to do.

Yuffie heard her friend whisper something an instant before he disappeared. Everything seemed to stand still as she stared in genuine confusion at the spot that Cid had one stood, his warm blood still lingering in the small puddles that were formed by his boots in the dirt. For an instance she thought she saw a flicker of blue light dance around the roaring Behemoth before her, racing around the large beast and darting below its legs.

The large purple animal stood frozen as the blue light danced all about it, unable to keep track of the little glow's movements. It stood, transfixed for several heartbeats, before large welts began to form across its thick hide. A roar of pain escaped its throat as the welts grew larger with each passing second. Finally reaching the apex of their pulsating grow, the welts all burst simultaneously as the blood from the beast showered across the shocked Wutai woman. A final whimper escaped the defeated beast's throat before it succumbed to the dark void of death.

A distant roar drew her attention away from the grisly scene, the remaining Behemoth having witnessed the demise of its partner. But before it too could rush towards the perplexed ninja, the blue light was bouncing all around it much in the same manner as the previous Behemoth. It appeared as if a tiny blue lightning bug were darting around the already weakened creature's body, whizzing across the large frame of the beast.

Several more seconds passed before that monster also succumbed to the assault. Large white bones jutted from gaping wounds along the creature's sides, many of which were jaggedly cut open as if a dull instrument were raked across the thick flesh.

The puzzled materia thief frowned as she watched the display in mixed emotions. Obviously she was delighted at the terrible monsters were dead, but what had done it? And how so fast? Her mind raced with possible answers while the small green creature that had been assaulting her friend earlier began to waddle in her direction.

"…sixteen," she heard the gruff voice of Cid say as he appeared before her, several inches from the same location he had been standing before. She snapped out of her thoughts and turned her pale gaze up to him, her mouth opening to ask the questions dancing in her mind. Then she felt her heart sink in her chest.

Every inch of his body was soaked with blood. Even his normally golden-blonde hair was caked with what appeared to be the dried remains of blood long deposited there. Her mind raced, trying to recall if he had that much blood on him before or if this was all new. Whatever the case, she could tell her friend had lost a lot of the live-giving fluid as his cheeks were a pasty white. His fingers trembled with exhaustion as he stared down at her, the normally dark pools of his eyes now a pale blue.

"Oh Cid…what…" Yuffie started, before he raised a hand up to silence her. Fresh blood dripped from several cuts along his palm, most of which looked relatively shallow but the crimson coating hinting at their depth.

The man who so recently stole her heart stood before her, wavering in the faint breeze. His head cocked to the side slightly to look over his shoulder, spying the slow approach of the Tonberry creature shuffling towards him. The small lantern in its little reptilian hands rattled with each gentle sway, the menacing yellow eyes staring intently on the couple.

"Not a chance…" Cid muttered to himself as he reached into one of his pockets and produced a cigarette, which he quickly lit with a flick of a weakened set of fingers grasping the lighter. With an arm still hanging limp at his side, the exhausted captain slipped his other hand back behind his waist and drew out a small red tube from a back pocket. He drew the tube up to his lips, igniting the long black wick embedded in it with the ember inches from his face.

With a grunt of effort, the captain tossed the freshly lit stick of explosive powder over his shoulder. The red rod landed several feet before the Tonberry, rolling along the dirt to rest against the befuddled creature's feet. Curiously it set the lantern down and grasped the slowly burning tube in its little green hand, tilting its head at the loud hissing sound coming from the faintly glowing fire on the end of it.

Before the little lizard creature realized his impending doom, the little stick of dynamite exploded in his tiny palm.

"Good riddance…" Cid muttered, turning his head back down to look at Yuffie. A small smile danced across his face around his cigarette as he held his hand down to her, the blood hardening on his flesh to give him a small layer of caked-on red coloring.

Cid could barely register the sound of his friends' voices as the last of his strength finally gave out. The lit smoke-stick fell helplessly from his mouth as the light fluttered from his eyes. Before he even knew it, the ground was racing up to meet his body as he fell forward.

Yuffie stared in horror as her arms reached out to the falling figure of the man before her. A tiny grunt escaped her throat as she threw herself beneath him, shielding his body from the harsh impact of the fall that would greet him on the ground. She slid down to her knees, his head tenderly lying in her lap as she struggled to stroke shaking fingers against his cold cheek.

Her eyes traced the large wounds along his body, resting on the broad shoulders of the person she had fallen so madly for. Two large wounds lay along his back, running parallel from shoulder blade to waist and oozed with thick layers of gushing blood. She was only dimly aware of her sobbing as her fingers pressed desperately against the burning hot blood, trying in vain to stop the bleeding.

"Oh god, Cid! Don't die!" she pleaded, her tears falling to mix against the still warm blood running down the pale man's cheeks. Her body hunched forward against him, her fingers clawing desperately to halt the rivers of life flowing from his wounds. "I….I love you!"

**End Chapter 7**


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